Christine May Morales rules cadet foil at PFA National tilt

By Edwin Rollon

At just 13, Christine May Morales is already making her mark as one of the country’s brightest young fencing prospects.

Morales stamped her class anew after ruling the Cadet Women’s Foil of the 3rd Leg Cadet and Junior Championships at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Malate, Manila.

The Grade 8 student-athlete and scholar dominated the final, disposing of her much older University of the East teammate Willa Liana Galvez, 15-4, to retain her place at the top of the Under-14 cadet division.

Morales had to dig deep in the semifinals, surviving fellow national team member and UE teammate Yuna Samuelle Canlas, 15-13, in a tightly fought all-UE duel.

She earlier received a first-round bye before dispatching Yuki Togawa of HCFC, 15-7, and Regina Zenais Pascual of Team RF, 15-10, in the preliminary rounds.

The latest triumph came on the heels of Morales’ impressive international campaign at the Southeast Asia Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Junior and Cadet Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last month, where she also faced Canlas in an all-Filipino Cadet Women’s Foil final.

The Philippine delegation finished third overall in the SEAFF championships with five gold, seven silver and 13 bronze medals for 25 medals.

“I’m very happy and excited that our team swept the podium. It was a very tough match against Yuna (Canlas) and Willa (Galvez),” Morales said.

“I thank God first for giving me strength and for the support of my family. Their cheers helped me a lot to gain the momentum I needed,” she added.

But Morales is not resting on her latest success.

The 5-foot-6 youngster said she is prepared to put in more work as she dreams of wearing the Philippine colors in the SEA Games, Asian Games and eventually the Olympics.

“More sacrifices pa and training para po mas mapahusay ko pa yung skills ko and hopefully ma-represent ko po ang Team Philippines sa SEA Games, Asian Games and, of course, the Olympics, tulad ng mga idol ko like Ate Sam (Catantan),” she said.

With her combination of height, developing skills, and growing international experience, Morales is emerging as a young name to watch in Philippine fencing.

The Philippine Fencing Association and the Philippine Sports Commission co-presented the 3rd Leg Cadet and Junior Championships.

Complete results are available through the Philippine Fencing Association’s official Facebook page.