BY FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ
Fencing is one of the fastest, most precise and most complex sports in the world. It is so fast that it’s almost impossible to judge with the naked eye. Fencing is an Olympic sport involving quick thinking, agility, poise and speed. The sport also develops discipline, respect, maturity and good sportsmanship.
Fencing is one of only four sports to be featured in every modern Olympic Games. The fencing suits or uniforms are white because, in earlier times, touching was recorded with a piece of cotton at the tip of the weapon soaked in black ink. The blades are made to bend upon impact with the target to prevent the blade from breaking or causing harm to an opponent.
Modern fencing is a sport that originated in Spain, where several books on fencing were written. Fencing is also known for being the only combat sport with no weight classes. Fencing was on the program of the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 and has been part of the Olympics ever since. The different types of weapons used are the foil (since 1896), the sabre (since 1896) and the épée (since 1900). Much of the modern fencing technique began with a manual written by the Italian Master Ridolfo Capo Ferro in 1610, considered by many as the father of modern fencing.
On April 10, Los Cabos Mayor Oscar Leggs Castro delivered sports equipment to athletes from Cabo who compete in fencing. This included electronic scoreboards, swords, masks and special tennis shoes, which assisted them in competing in the CONADE 2023 National Tournament, held on April 18 in the state of Querétaro.
Yadira Lira Navarro, director of the Poblano Sports Institute (INPODE, pointed out that the objective of the nationals competition was to form the Mexican National Team which will participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, 2023, and the Santiago, Chile, 2023 Pan American Games as well as the qualifying rounds for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 2023 National Games were hosted by the state of Jalisco from May 26 until June 3, after the qualifying rounds of the Querétaro Tournament. There were 6 athletes representing Baja California Sur who earned gold medals in Jalisco. Only Loreto earned more with seven, while La Paz had 4.
In 2022, Dahlia Iñiguez Figueroa of Loreto was crowned as National Fencing Champion in the AAA Junior category and was the first BCS champion on the national stage. Ever since then, and because of her success, fencing popularity has been on the rise in Los Cabos and the Southern Baja California State that these local youngsters represent with pride.
