Amita is world’s top junior fencer

Fresh from being crowned Asian junior champion last week, Singapore starlet Amita Berthier added another feather to her cap yesterday, when she claimed the top spot in the International Fencing Federation's (FIE) world junior rankings for women's foil.

With the 48 points earned for winning the junior (Under-20) foil title at the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in Amman, Jordan, last week, the 18-year-old shot to the top of the charts with 154 points, one ahead of Italy's Martina Favaretto.

Yau Wee Sian, Fencing Singapore's vice-president for high performance, said: "We are absolutely elated to see Amita Berthier top the FIE world junior rankings for women's foil, following her victory at the Asian Junior Championships.

"This is a historic achievement for a Singaporean fencer and it comes as no surprise that Amita is the one to carve out this new milestone for Singapore.

"She has in recent years consistently delivered good results on the regional and world stage, through cadet and now junior ranks.

"As a freshman at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, she continues to make waves on the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) circuit, winning the ACC individual title last month while also a member of the winning team.

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"We congratulate Amita on this achievement, and also applaud the team behind her, namely her primary coach Ralf Bissdorf and her mum Uma.

"We also take the opportunity to thank the combined support of an entire village behind Amita. (They) include her school in Notre Dame, her club Z Fencing, Singapore Sport Institute, Singapore National Olympic Council and Sport Singapore working hand-in-hand with Fencing Singapore head coach Andrey Klyushin and high performance manager Marko Milic.

PLEASED

"We at the FS secretariat are pleased that Amita continues to demonstrate that it's possible for Singapore athletes to dream big and achieve."

Besides winning the junior foil title last week, Berthier also tasted success in the team event with Maxine Wong, Tatiana Wong and Denyse Chan. She will carry the world No. 1 ranking into next month's World Junior Championships in Torun, Poland.