Amita Berthier is the first Singaporean female fencer to qualify for the Olympics

Singapore will have a fencer representing the nation at the Olympics for the first time since 1992 after Amita Berthier won the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament women’s foil event on Sunday (Apr 25). 

The 20-year-old is also the first Singaporean female fencer to qualify the games. The last fencers to represent the nation in the Olympics were James Wong and Ronald Tan in the Barcelona Games. 

Amita sealed her spot in the Tokyo Olympic Games, due to be held from Jul 23 to Aug 8, after defeating Uzbekistan’s Yala Alborova 15-14 in the final of the qualification tournament which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

Amita’s achievement was also celebrated by Fencing Singapore, the association that governs the sport in the country, in a Facebook post.

Earlier this year, Amita also became the first Singaporean to win a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) fencing team championship as the University of Notre Dame clinched its 11th title. 

Amita also won a bronze medal in the women’s individual foil competition at the NCAA.