Emotional rollercoaster for fencer Amita as Air France loses, then recovers S$5k of equipment
S$5,000 worth of fencing equipment belonging to Singapore's national fencer Amita Berthier (top R) was misplaced by Air France as a result of flights delays in Havana and Paris. Photo: Fencing Singapore (top) and AFP
SINGAPORE — Misfortune struck national fencer Amita Berthier on Monday (Dec 18), just a day after the teenager won Singapore’s first-ever title at the Havana Junior World Cup in the women’s individual foil.
As a result of flight delays in Havana and Paris, the 17-year-old’s luggage containing S$5,000 worth of fencing equipment was misplaced by Air France. Her mother Uma Berthier said that the airline was not able to provide details or information on the whereabouts of her daughter’s bag. As a result, the mother and daughter pair had to wait anxiously for three days before they finally received news that the bag had been found in Paris.
(Above) Lost and found: Amita Berthier's bag. Photo: Uma Berthier
TODAY had contacted Berthier and Air France early Friday morning before the missing bag was located, and the airline responded in the evening that they were looking into the case.
Berthier had told TODAY on Friday morning: “I know bags can be delayed but to get answers with a ‘can’t be traced... many bags to locate’.... is very disappointing.
“All we want is some update and a person who could make decisions to talk to, and I don’t think that’s an unreasonable request. They were just nonchalant.”
On Sunday, up-and-coming young fencer Amita clinched a historic gold medal for Singapore in Cuba after defeating Canada’s Naomi Moindrot Zilliox 15-9 in the final. However, her joy was dampened by Air France’s baggage bungle a day later.
Amita and her mother boarded an Air France flight bound for Paris on Monday after a delay of close to two hours at the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba. As a result of the delay, they missed their connecting flight to Lyon, and waited five hours before boarding the next flight.
Upon touching down at the Lyon-Saint-Exupery Airport, they discovered that only two of their three luggage bags had arrived. To their dismay, it was Amita’s equipment bag containing her fencing weapons, extra foils, full suit, wires, two pairs of shoes, and mask – worth about S$5,000 – that was missing. Amita was especially “upset and disappointed” over the loss as her treasured Team Singapore jacket – which she wore at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in August when she won gold in the women’s foil – was among the misplaced possessions.
"“I won my first SEA Games medal and wore that jacket all through the competition and have taken it with me ever since to the United States, Romania, Guatemala and Cuba," said Amita on Friday before her luggage was found.
"It’s given me great memories... kept me happy and motivated.”
But attempts to find out the whereabouts of her missing luggage proved frustrating, and futile, for the duo. According to Berthier, they made about 20 calls to the airline and staff could only say they there was “no trace” of the bag, and her request for the contact of a manager and email contact was turned down.
Berthier said that she had fork out some €2,000 to purchase new equipment for Amita as the fencer, who is ranked No 5 on the junior world rankings, will be competing in two tournaments early next month: the Junior World Cup in Italy, and Senior World Cup in Poland.
But luckily for the pair, there was good news when they arrived in Geneva on Friday for their year-end vacation with Amita’s paternal grandparents - Amita’s lost luggage had been found in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Amita told TODAY: “This is the best Christmas present! My heart is so light, I am truly elated and I can now enjoy Christmas with my family!”
