News from the Incheon Wheelchair Fencing Asian Championships

Date: October 13th, 2014

Publication: KIHOILBO(KIHO Newspaper)

Headline: Only in a wheelchair … with a high spirit

Wheelchair Fencing will maintain its reputation of AG Fencing

Determines medal distribution according to movements of upper body and skills of hands.

Wheelchair Fencing is expected to reproduce ‘Gold medals in Fencing of Asian Games’. Athletes are doing heated competitions. Fencing is considered as a new trusty event at 17th Incheon Asian Para Games. Wheelchair Fencing is in readiness for maintaining its reputation in Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games.

Wheelchair Fencing will proceed from October 19 to 22. It was introduced at United Kingdom in 1948 and chosen as a formal subject after Rome 1960 Paralympic which is the first olympic for disabled. Now, It is spread across Europe and expanded into Asia after Seoul 1988 Paralympic.

International Wheelchair Fencing Confederation(IWFC) which manages Wheelchair Fencing uses their own regulation which is based on the rule of Fédération Internationale d’Escrime(FIE).

The Wheelchair Fencing was introduced to Korea when the ’88 Seoul Paralympic Games Organizing Committee started to develop and promote the Paralympic sports during the times when they were not yet disseminated.

Korea Polio Association was the first organization that wheelchair Fencing started in 1986. A total of 9 Wheelchair Fencing athletes were selected through the basic training from 1986 to 1988 and this was the beginning of local Wheelchair Fencing.

The Initial study and training were started from Korea National Sport University fencing club(1986~1988), and this carried over to fencing club in Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps. In addition, Korea wheelchair fencing association were developed in 1996, trained athletes, and participated in competitions. In 2006, Korea Wheelchair Fencing Association was established in 2006.

Wheelchair fencing is the only combat sport you can play with a wheelchair, therefore providing thrilling sensations and breathtaking tensions that cannot be found in other sports. Wheelchair Fencing consists of three events including foil, epee, and saber. While normal fencing requires motions of stepping back and forth(foot walk), wheelchair fencing is played with their wheelchairs fixed to the ground, requiring more skills of hand and movements of the upper body(body work).

The initial round of a match uses the preliminary pool system, and all players are divided into pools.

The preliminary round is held for 3 minutes, requiring to earn 5 points. The winner of each pool will move up to the final round, where they will play 3 sets, each for 3 minutes for 15 points. If time runs out at the preliminary or final round, preventive is given and if the fencer does not gain a point, the fencer with preventive wins the bout.

All players that are competing in the individual matches are divided into groups of alphabetical order. Through group leagues, the fencers compete in a tournament from the round of 16 (Adjustable depending on the number of participants). For the team matches, only three members from each team (Composed of 4 fencers) are allowed to participate in the match, and one out of those three fencers must be B class.

If both teams have the same score in the full league, the loss and gains of the scores will be calculated to determine the winner.

For the Incheon Asian Para Games, Kim Sun-mi of Korea, the first female wheelchair fencer to participate in the paralympics, will compete for a medal.