Belsize’s blazing blade - Sharp Soji scoops Britain’s top fencing title

Published: 14 October, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT

BELSIZE blade Soji Aiyenuro lifted one of Britain’s most prestigious senior sabre titles at the weekend when he won the Advalus Pro Championships in Newquay.

The 16-year-old (pictured), who trains with Camden Fencing Club, overcame some of the top ranked fencers in the country and some of the young stars from abroad to win the coveted prize.

Soji, who lives in Belsize Park, started well in the group games, losing just one match to earn a fifth-seed ranking going into the knockout stages.

He proceeded comfortably through the next two rounds to reach the last 16, where he defeated Alexander Crutchett, one of Britain’s top senior internationals.

Soji went on to beat highly-ranked fencers Jon Salfield, who is fourth in Britain, in the last eight and Alistair Jupp in the semi-finals.

In a testing final, Soji went head-to-head against Pal Nagy, one of Hungary’s leading sabreurs and ranked in the top 120 in the World Senior Rankings. Soji started slowly in his first senior final and was losing 8-3 at the half way point.

But the spirited youngster battled back to clinch a 15-12 victory and take top spot on the winners’ podium.

Team-mate Curtis Miller finished 10th overall, while Camden’s sole representative in the women’s event, Izabela Sosnowska, finished in a commendable 28th place.

• Camden Fencing Club hosted a successful home fixture in the Leon Paul Junior Series Foil Tournament over the weekend at Acland Burghley School in Tufnell Park.

The largest tournament on the LPJS Circuit, the event attracted 185 fencers from all over the country.

Overall Camden entered a team of 14 fencers across the age categories, which ranged from Under-9s to Under-15s.

The club’s best result came from Jean-Baptiste Baigneres who won the silver medal in the boys’ Under-9s competition.

Ava Martinez-Lambert also did well to finish sixth in the girls’ Under-15s event.