Fencer Simon Lee during the men's epee team final at the 33rd SEA Games. Photo: SNOC/ Kelly Wong
Singapore’s fencers won the men’s epee team and women’s foil team events on Dec 19 to take their total tally at the 33rd SEA Games to eight golds. It is the Republic’s best result at the biennial Games.
Si To Jian Tong, Simon Lee, Azfar Ong and Bron Sheum came from behind to defeat Vietnam 44-34 in the men’s epee team final for Singapore’s 50th gold of these Games. Later at the Fashion Island Mall in Bangkok, the women’s foil team comprising Amita Berthier, Maxine Wong, Cheung Kemei and Stephanie Lee prevailed 45-31 over the Philippines to clinch Singapore’s fifth straight title in this event.
In the men’s epee team final, defending champions Vietnam took the early lead to go up 10-5. After Ong narrowed the deficit to two points by holding off Nguyen Tien Nhat in the third bout, Si To levelled the score and wrested the lead in the fourth. The Singaporeans never looked back, surging ahead to reclaim their 2022 title.
Ong drew strength from his teammates, coaches and family when taking to the piste as Singapore trailed 5-10, saying: “Of course it’s very stressful coming from behind. While fencing, I remembered all the promises I made to my family, friends and the coaches who didn’t get to come to this competition who trained me very hard in Singapore.
“I didn’t want to let them down, so to me, it was a do or die moment. I didn’t care what happened, I just wanted to give it my all on the piste. I just decided to smile it out and just do my best.”
Si To revealed he did not think of the score as he had full confidence in his teammates.
“We might have been trailing at the start, but I just wanted to focus on my own fencing and just try to prove to myself that I’m able to fence to a certain standard after several poor performances,” said the 22-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals of the men’s individual epee.
Describing how he recovered from the disappointment of being unable to retain his title in the individual event, he said: “Instead of thinking about the fact that I didn’t meet expectations, I just forgot all the negative things and kept a positive mindset. I didn’t do well in the individual (event), but now I have a team and we’ll do it together. We did it once, now we’ll do it again, but even better.”
Teamwork and belief was the key to the Singapore women winning their fifth consecutive foil team title in a row despite nerves and a strong opponent. The final had started out tight, and Wong said: “We knew that we had what it took to (successfully) defend our title. We knew that we had to trust ourselves and trust each other. At the beginning of the match, it was a little bit close and we were feeling the nerves a little. But we slowly picked it up and increased the gap and we really worked well as a team.”
Each of the women’s foil team, with the exception of debutante Lee, now have at least two SEA Games golds in the event and they have every intention of extending their streak for as long as possible.
Berthier, who won the women’s individual foil title here, said: “Women’s foil in Singapore has always been strong, so I think we’re trying to keep the legacy going. I have no doubts that even after my retirement in a while, that they will keep it going. The younger ones are coming up really well and my job as the oldest one right now is to try to let them believe in themselves and believe in their skills, and hopefully we can keep it up for the next few years and forever.”
The 20-year-old Cheung, who was part of the 2022 and 2023 teams, added: “I’m the ‘middle’ one in this team, so I still have a long way to go. I hope to keep the legacy going for the next few SEA Games, and achieve better results on the Asian and world stages as well.”
The fencers conclude their SEA Games outing with eight golds, three silvers, two bronzes.
Fencing Singapore president David Chen said: “While eight gold medals is a historic milestone, we are most proud of the class and sportsmanship our fencers displayed. Records are meant to be broken, but the grit and genuine joy our athletes showed on the broadcast resonated far beyond the medal tally. This haul proves that when our fencers compete with composure and heart, the results follow naturally. We are immensely proud of how they carried the Singapore flag.”
The 33rd SEA Games are held in Thailand from 9 to 20 December 2025. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.