POLOKWANE – Rahul van Manen, a member of the South African Fencing team and the Sello Maduma Fencing Academy, has earned accolades at several international fencing competitions held between March and May this year.
In March, Rahul travelled to Cairo in Egypt, for the Junior African Championships as part of the South African national team. He was the only fencer from Limpopo to qualify for the championships.
There, he secured a silver medal in the u/20 men’s epee team event and a bronze in the u/20 men’s foil team event.
In April, Rahul continued his journey in The Netherlands, where he trained at local fencing clubs and competed against some of the best fencers in the country.
His impressive performance included winning a silver medal in the junior men’s individual epee at the Rijnland Tournament and a team silver in the senior men’s epee at the Dom Tournament.
Rahul’s success continued in the United Kingdom, where he was placed fifth overall in the senior men’s individual epee at the Invicta Open, earning the junior gold medal as the highest-placed junior fencer in the senior event.
At his final competition, the Sussex Open, he finished in the top 10. Between competitions, Rahul took the opportunity to train at various clubs, further honing his skills.
Reflecting on his experiences, Rahul said: “Fencing against very experienced and high-ranked fencers was an excellent learning experience. The competitions provided me with valuable competitive time to improve my skills. Fencing without a coach taught me to trust myself and self-correct during matches. I gained a deeper understanding of my abilities and grew my confidence as a fencer.”
Joseph Maluleke, coach at the Sello Maduma Fencing Academy, expressed his satisfaction with Rahul’s progress.
“I am very happy with Rahul’s fencing development and look forward to preparing for the upcoming provincial competitions and the nationals in Cape Town in August,” he said.
Rahul’s achievements not only highlight his talent but also bring pride to his academy and Limpopo. His dedication and success set a promising path for future competitions.
