Singapore’s Kiria Tikanah secures Paris Olympics qualification

SINGAPORE: Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman, Singaporean national fencer secured victory in the women’s epee final at the Asia Oceania Zonal Qualification Tournament held in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), defeating India’s Taniksha Khatri with a score of 15-13.

This recent triumph guarantees Ms Kiria’s participation in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

The final, which took place on Sunday (28 April), concluded dramatically as the 23-year-old held a 14-13 lead when her opponent received a second red card for a subsequent offence, resulting in the final point being awarded to the Singaporean.

During her journey to the final, Kiria triumphed over Hanniel Abella from the Philippines with a score of 15-8 and narrowly defeated Mongolia’s Amarzaya Batsaikhan with a score of 15-13 in the semifinals.

Kiria, currently ranked 64th globally, made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which was postponed due to COVID-19.

Amita Berthier, another Singaporean fencer, became the first to secure her place in Paris last month, following her joint 20th finish in the women’s foil event at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Grand Prix in Washington on 17 March.

Kiria now joins a growing list of Singaporean athletes heading to the Games, including Shanti Pereira, the reigning Asian Games 200m champion, kitefoiler Max Maeder, and the women’s 4x100m medley swim team consisting of Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen, Letitia Sim, and Levinia Sim.

Recently, kayaker Stephenie Chen secured her Paris ticket by finishing third in the women’s K1 500m final at the ACC Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe Asian Championships, which served as the Asian qualifier for the Games.

Additionally, rower Saiyidah Aisyah secured her spot by competing in the women’s 2,000m lightweight single sculls at the Asian and Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea.

Fencing Singapore shared the exciting news on social media, congratulating Ms Kiria for her second qualification to the Olympics.

The Paris Olympics, slated from 26 July to 11 August, will host athletics events from 2 to 11 August at the Stade de France.

Leading up to Paris, Kiria will participate in various Grand Prix events before the Asian Fencing Championships in Kuwait in June.

Her principal coach, Henry Koh, expressed pride in her journey, noting her growth, setbacks, and subsequent resilience over the past few years.

Kiria herself shared her excitement about returning to the Olympics, acknowledging the additional workload and intensity of training and competitions that come with qualifying.