IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Academy to make stop in India

The second edition of the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Academy will take place from 13-21 July in Bangalore, India, to follow on from the launch in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2021.

The Academy offers participants the chance to learn from experts in the sport, take recognised exams and compete against their peers.

Activities in Bangalore will feature courses tailored to the needs of each group and is targeted at countries in Asia.

Coaches will have the chance to learn about the specifics of epee and foil from Baldip Sahota, coach of the British wheelchair fencing team. The trainees can also bring one fencer each to learn with, making the Academy an even more attractive offer.

The coaches’ course will run from 13-21 July and the final two days will be dedicated to competition where the coaches and fencers can put into practice what they have learnt.

More information and registrations for coaches and athletes can be found by clicking here. 

The referee training will feature three days of training in foil and epee. There will be practical and written exams and those who take part will also referee during the competition that rounds off the end of the Academy.

Referees can find out more and register by clicking here. 

IWAS Wheelchair Fencing’s Head of Classification, Anita Laszlo, will lead the classifier training between 17-20 July. Participants will learn about the theory, rules and regulations currently practiced and the assessments that are carried out during classification in wheelchair fencing.

Trainees will then get the chance to join classification sessions before observing athletes in competition and taking part in written and oral exams.

Classifiers can find out more and register by clicking here. 

The IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Academy began in 2021 with the aim of growing the sport around the world. The edition in India is being supported by the Indian Paralympic Committee and with funding from the International Paralympic Committee.

It joins training videos available online, virtual referee and coaching courses and free-to-access content such as how to build a do-it-yourself wheelchair fencing frame. The sport has also recently launched an online platform where anyone new to the sport can learn about it and test their knowledge along the way.