Fencing is set to be a major battleground at the SEA Games 2025 in Thailand. Expect fierce competition across all three disciplines: epee, foil, and sabre. The action will be fast and tactical, with several regional stars poised to make headlines.
Singapore’s fencing team in the SEA Games 2025
All the fencers representing Team Singapore will consist of the following:
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Men |
Women |
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| Epee |
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| Foil |
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| Sabre |
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5 male fencers to look out for in the SEA Games 2025
The men’s categories will be a battle of regional champions, mixing youth dominance with veteran tactical strength.
Image Credit: The Straits Times
1. Si To Jian Tong – Men’s Epee
As a previous gold medalist at SEA Games 2022 in Hanoi, 22-year-old Si To Jian Tong understands the nuanced tactical requirements of epee, including patience, deception, and precise distance control.
He knows how to manipulate an opponent’s rhythm, which is a major advantage against younger, more aggressive fencers.
Image credit: Singapore Sports School
2. Ong Azfar Luqman – Men’s Epee
Azfar Luqman Ong enters the SEA Games 2025 as one of Singapore’s youngest and most outstanding male Épée fencers, carrying excellent form into the competition. His recent performance includes winning the Singapore Open in October 2025 and consistently placing in the top 3 positions during the Singapore Senior Trials since September 2025.
Azfar’s dedication to the sport began early, leading him to enrol in the Singapore Sports School, where his commitment paid off with a U20 gold medal at the 2023 Singapore Junior and Cadet Challenge.
Beyond competing, Azfar is also actively involved as a part-time coach with DSFencing Club, where he demonstrates a strong interest in guiding younger kids and developing their passion for the sport. His long-term goal is to secure a spot on the Senior National Team and eventually represent Singapore at the Asian Games and the Olympics.
Image credit: Team Singapore
3. Simon Lee Ren Jie – Men’s Epee
Simon Lee is focused on the ultimate goal in fencing: the Olympic Games. The 2019 Southeast Asian Games silver medallist joined the Singapore Sports School to leverage the high-level coaching and support necessary for this ambition.
According to the Singapore Sports School website, he has been training under Head Coach Shim Jaesung since 2017, who immediately recognised Simon’s competitive drive and potential. Coach Shim maintains high expectations for his protégé, stating his hope that Simon will reach the level required for the Olympics, despite the challenging path.
Simon is currently improving his technique and participating in high-level international competitions to raise his game, aiming to make a significant impact at the SEA Games 2025 as a stepping stone towards his ultimate Olympic dream.
Image credit: Team Singapore
4. Bron Sheum Han Shen – Men’s Epee
Bron Sheum Han Shen embodies resilience, overcoming challenges both academic and athletic to achieve his goal of competing at the SEA Games.
Despite navigating a hearing impairment and starting his academic journey in the Normal Technical course before working his way up to a Polytechnic Diploma, Bron maintains an unwavering belief in hard work.
His dedication saw him make a strong comeback from a debilitating wrist injury, only qualifying for the SEA Games after the second-last ranking competition. He described the qualification as “surreal and unbelievable” during his interview with Singapore Sports School, having fought back from a national ranking drop due to the injury.
Bron is now focused on the team objective, hoping to “do well with my teammates and continue to defend the gold medal we won at the last Games.”
Image credit: Channel NewsAsia
5. Samuel Elijah Robson – Men’s Foil
Samuel Robson’s rapid ascent—from national youth fencer to SEA Games champion on debut—points to a fencer who performs better under pressure.
As the reigning champion and a leading figure in the region’s foil circuit, every opponent will be specifically preparing for him. His biggest challenge will be adapting his winning strategy when faced with targeted counter-tactics from veterans like Mayakarn Chornnasun.
5 female fencers to look out for in the SEA Games 2025
Girl power! The women’s fencing categories in the SEA Games 2025 will see a strong performance from Singapore‘s elite squad.
Image credit: Tatler Asia
1. Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman – Women’s Epee
Kiria Rahman, 25, made history as the first female Singaporean to compete in the epée event at the Olympics. She also qualified for her second Olympics by winning the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier. Her bouts are tactical battles, requiring patience and precision.
Her most recent achievement is winning a joint-bronze medal at the 2025 Asian Fencing Championships in Bali. She consistently delivers in high-pressure situations.
A fun fact about Kiria was that she was originally a foil fencer, but switched to epee at age 12, as she felt epee suited her personality more. Learn more about the key difference between foil vs epee vs sabre.
She also noted that at Paris 2024 she was more mature in her thought process and strategies compared to her debut in Tokyo, indicating a positive progression in her competitive abilities. Her goal now is to push for the podium and improve on her 2023 individual bronze.
Image credit: The Straits Times
2. Elle Koh Meihui – Women’s Epee
17-year-old Elle Koh is an immensely talented fencer who became the youngest-ever female SEA Games 2022 individual gold medalist (then aged 14). The 18-year-old has been fencing for over a decade. She is a serious threat to anyone in the epée field. Her phenomenal individual talent complements the experience of veteran Kiria Tikanah, creating a formidable force as they aim to lead the Women’s Epee team to glory in the team event.
Image credit: Mediacorp
3. Amita Berthier – Women’s Foil
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Amita Berthier, an Olympian and double SEA Games gold medallist, leads the women’s foil team.
She is finally making her return to the SEA Games after missing the last two Games as she was pursuing a sociology degree at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.
Six years after her last SEA Games, her role has shifted from competitor to mentor. She is excited to guide and mentor 17-year-old Stephanie Lee, who is competing for the first time in her foil team, according to her interview with Sport Plus.
Image credit: Fencing Singapore
4. Esther Tan
Esther Tan (right in picture) enters the SEA Games 2025 as one of Singapore’s most exciting emerging talents, having recently achieved a historic bronze medal at the FIE Junior World Cup in Manama, Bahrain.
She is the first current student-athlete to medal at this high-level competition, proving her world-class potential. Her success is a testament to her mental toughness and dedication to balancing elite training with her academics.
Image credit: International Fencing Federation
5. Jermaine Tan Ruo Ting – Women’s Sabre
Jermaine Tan’s selection for Women’s Sabre came as a surprise after she started the season ranked outside the top four. Recent strong performances built crucial momentum.
Sabre is known as the most aggressive and fastest weapon, where fencers rush to attack immediately off the on-guard line. Her success in this weapon confirms she possesses the necessary blitzing speed and attack-first mentality to gain the right-of-way.
Her opponents must now match the 22-year-old’s speed and aggression while finding a way to disrupt her powerful initial attack.
Fencing in the SEA Games 2025
The competition is expected to be a tight race for overall supremacy, with Singapore and Vietnam typically battling for the top of the medal table.
Singapore remains the favourite to lead the overall medal count due to its consistent strength and depth across all three weapons, as evidenced by its seven gold medals at the 2023 Games.
The biggest threat is Vietnam, which will provide the stiffest challenge, especially in epée and sabre team events, where they have had recent success.
Meanwhile, Thailand will use the home advantage to secure key medals. The action on the piste promises to be fast, intense, and a true spectacle of strategy and skill.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about fencing in the SEA Games 2025
1. What is the competition format for fencing in the SEA Games 2025?
There are both individual and team events for foil, epee, and sabre, following the standards of the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (FIE).
In individual preliminary events, fencers compete in round-robin pools, with fencing bouts up to five points (or until time expires). Top fencers advance to knockout rounds, with fencing bouts up to 15 points, with three 3-minute periods.
In team events, three fencers compete in a relay format. Each one fences three one-minute rounds against an opponent from the other team. The first team to reach a combined score of 45 points, or the team with the higher score when time ends, wins.
2. When will fencing in the SEA Games 2025 begin?
Here is the full SEA Games 2025 fencing schedule for reference:
| BROADCAST | START | END | EVENT | GENDER | ROUND | |
| 16th December 2025 | X | 10:00 | 15:00 | Individual Foil | M | Preliminary |
| 10:00 | 15:00 | Individual Epee | W | Preliminary | ||
| X | 10:00 | 15:00 | Individual Sabre | W | Preliminary | |
| X | 15:00 | 18:00 | Individual Foil | M | Semi Final – Final | |
| X | 15:00 | 18:00 | Individual Epee | W | Semi Final – Final | |
| X | 15:00 | 18:00 | Individual Sabre | W | Semi Final – Final | |
| 17th December 2025 | 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Individual Sabre | M | Preliminary |
| 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Individual Epee | M | Preliminary | |
| 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Individual Foil | W | Preliminary | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Individual Sabre | M | Semi Final – Final | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Individual Epee | M | Semi Final – Final | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Individual Foil | W | Semi Final – Final | |
| 18th December 2025 | 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Team Sabre | W | Preliminary |
| 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Team Foil | M | Preliminary | |
| 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Team Epee | W | Preliminary | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Team Sabre | W | Semi Final – Final | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Team Foil | M | Semi Final – Final | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Team Epee | W | Semi Final – Final | |
| 19th December 2025 | 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Team Sabre | M | Preliminary |
| 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Team Epee | M | Preliminary | |
| 🎥 | 10:00 | 15:00 | Team Foil | W | Preliminary | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Team Sabre | M | Semi Final – Final | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Team Epee | M | Semi Final – Final | |
| 🎥 | 15:00 | 18:00 | Team Foil | W | Semi Final – Final |
Which country do you think will score the most unexpected number of gold medals this year?
3. What are the requirements to join the Singapore National Team for the SEA Games 2025?
There are three ways to enter the National Fencing Team:
- National Rank 1st to 4th from the previous season automatically qualify.
- National Team qualification through the local season (based on the best two results from the local season).
- Qualification for Major Games / Championships.