Push Admin

Filipino fencing athlete Samantha Catantan practices for the Southeast Asian Games with the Philippine Fencing Team at the Philippine Sports Institute at the Ultra in Pasig City on November 12, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Filipino Fencing athlete, Samantha Catantan practices for the SouthEast Asian Games (SEAGAMES) with the Philippine Fencing Team at the Philippine Sports Institute at the Ultra in Pasig City on November 12, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

2019 SEA Games -- Fencing

ABS-CBN News

<div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171429271900220191112-ph-fencing-team-JC-4156.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Filipino fencing athlete Samantha Catantan practices for the Southeast Asian Games with the Philippine Fencing Team at the Philippine Sports Institute at the Ultra in Pasig City on November 12, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Filipino fencing athlete Samantha Catantan practices for the Southeast Asian Games with the Philippine Fencing Team at the Philippine Sports Institute at the Ultra in Pasig City on November 12, 2019. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA -- The chief of the country&#x27;s Olympic committee hailed Samantha Catantan on Sunday after the fencer became the 12th Filipino athlete to qualify to the Summer Games later this year in Paris.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Samantha Catantan rose beyond adversity and proved herself deserving of an Olympic spot,&quot; Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham &quot;Bambol&quot; Tolentino said. &quot;She really fought for it to the end and I&#x27;m really happy to see her success just like the other Paris-bound Filipino athletes before her.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Catantan ruled the women&#x27;s foil event in the Asia Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifiers 2024 in Fujairah late Saturday night, overcoming Kazakhstan&#x27;s Sofiya Aktayeva, 15-14, in the gold medal match.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/4/27/fencer-sam-catantan-is-latest-pinoy-athlete-to-earn-olympics-berth-2244">READ: Fencer Sam Catantan is latest Pinoy athlete to earn Olympics berth</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Making Cantantan&#x27;s feat all the more remarkable is that she ended the national fencing team&#x27;s 32-year Olympic drought. Walter Torres was the last Filipino fencer to compete in the Summer Games, back in 1992 in Barcelona.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;She really worked hard to put the Philippines back on the world fencing map after 32 years and we&#x27;re very proud of her,&quot; said Tolentino, who added that Catantan will join the other Filipino Olympians at the Metz training camp in France a month ahead of the Games.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Catantan joins star pole vaulter EJ Obiena; boxers Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio; gymnasts Carlos Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, and Levi Ruivivar; rower Joanie Delgaco; and weightlifters John Ceniza, Elreen Ando, and Vanessa Sarno.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She beat Oman&#x27;s Israa Al Siyabi, 15-4, in the quarterfinal and upset top seed Sena Hong of South Korea in semifinal, 15-3.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Two other Filipinos—Nathaniel Perez (men&#x27;s foil) and Hanniel Abella (women&#x27;s epee)—also targeted tickets to Paris later Sunday.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/4/24/fencing-coach-believes-ph-veterans-can-break-32-year-olympic-drought-018"></a><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/4/24/fencing-coach-believes-ph-veterans-can-break-32-year-olympic-drought-018">READ: Coach believes Filipino fencers can break 32-year Olympic drought</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ROoclIqqME?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The chief of the country's Olympic committee hailed Samantha Catantan on Sunday after the fencer became the 12th Filipino athlete to qualify to the Summer Games later this year in Paris.</p>

The chief of the country's Olympic committee hailed Samantha Catantan on Sunday after the fencer became the 12th Filipino athlete to qualify to the Summer Games later this year in Paris.

POC hails Catantan's Olympic qualification: 'She rose beyond adversity'

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Sports

POC hails Catantan's Olympic qualification: 'She rose beyond adversity'

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 28, 2024 04:50 PM PHT

Read More:

abssports

fencing

Paris Olympics

Olympic Games

2024 Olympics

Sam Catantan

women's foil

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.