Kiria Tikanah becomes second Singapore fencer to qualify for Tokyo Olympics
Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman wins gold for the women's fencing individual epee event at SEA Games 2019. (Photo: SNOC)
SINGAPORE: Singapore will have two fencers at this year's Olympic Games after Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman won the women's epee event at the Asia-Oceania Olympic qualification tournament in Tashkent on Monday (Apr 26).
Kiria becomes the second Singaporean fencer in as many days to make the cut for the Tokyo Games after Amita Berthier won the women's foil event on Sunday.
READ: Singaporean fencer Amita Berthier earns Olympic spot after winning qualification tournament
Kiria, 20, beat Kazakhstan's Ulyana Balaganskaya 15-13 in the finals. She had overcome Thailand's Korawan Thanee 15-12 in the semi-finals.
Kiria will join Amita as Singapore's second female fencer to compete at the Olympics and is now the second to qualify outright for the event.
Fencers James Wong and Ronald Tan competed at the 1992 Olympics in the foil and epee events, but did not have to qualify as they were selected by virtue of being the country's top fencers in their events.
Kiria is the reigning SEA Games gold medallist in the same event after winning in 2019 in the Philippines.
The Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin on Jul 23.
