Sabre pals eye Russian gold

Published: 9 September, 2010
by STEVE BARNETT and BEN BAKER

REIGNING champion Soji Aiyenuro insists he is now ready for an assault on Europe after winning gold at the Sainsbury’s UK School Games. 

The British under-18s champion, who is third in the British under-20s junior rankings, went into the competition at Sunderland’s Silksworth Leisure Centre on Friday as the one to watch.

The William Ellis School pupil, who lives in Belsize Park, didn’t disappoint.

He powered his way to the sabre final where he narrowly beat Islington’s Curtis Miller, who he trains alongside at Camden Fencing Club.

Soji, 16, showed tremendous skill to beat his close friend 15-10 and retain the UK School Games title that he won in Cardiff last year, and admitted that the winning feeling was just as good – if not better – the second time around.

“The UK School Games was an amazing experience for me and to come away with the gold is brilliant,” he said.

“Having won the competition the previous year there was a lot of pressure to retain my title, but I stayed focused and didn’t let the pressure get to me. I have managed to produce the goods again which is obviously really pleasing.

This is a really hard competition to win because the calibre of fencers here was top notch and it always is. There is literally no better place in this country and no better stage on which to win.”

Runner-up Curtis completed a magnificent overall result for Camden Fencing Club as he collected the silver medal.

The Holloway youngster was a worthy finalist, especially after being the only fencer to win all of his pool matches, conceding just four hits along the way.

Another star performer was Camden’s Alex Tofalides, who has just returned from the Junior Olympics in Singapore.

The University College School pupil captured a silver after narrowly losing 15-11 in the boys’ foil final.

Among the youngest fencers was La Sainte Union schoolgirl Leah King who put in a series of commanding displays on her way to finishing sixth in the girls’ foil.

There was further success for the talented quartet on Sunday when they played their part in helping England win gold in their respective team events.

Soji and Curtis will now turn their attentions towards the European Cadet Championships in Moscow in November.

Soji is currently seventh in the European cadet rankings but believes he is in with a shout of winning a medal off the back of retaining his UK School Games crown.

“The European Championships in Moscow will be massive for me and I know I have the ability to do well.”

The Sainsbury’s UK School Games is managed by the Youth Sport Trust, a national charity that works

with more than 450 school sport partnerships across the country to improve the PE and school sport experience for all young people.

For more information see: www.youthsporttrust.org