Federal Territory Amateur Fencing Association - FTAFA

SUKMA Selangor XXII saw our Wilayah Persekutuan fencing team securing 1 x Gold Medal 🥇 and 5 x Silver Medal 🥈 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. The team may have fallen short of our gold medal targets but we cannot dismiss the effort and determination shown by our athletes 💕❤️.

FTAFA would like to commend and congratulate the fencers for their dedication and commitment competing for Wilayah Persekutuan. We are proud of you all!!!

MERDEKA, and the Courage of Speak Up.

Editorial piece by our esteemed President, En Badroel Rizwan bin Bahar

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI KEMERDEKAAN 🇲🇾!!

MERDEKA, AND THE COURAGE TO SPEAK UP

Today, as we celebrate Malaysia’s Independence Day, I find myself thinking about what “Merdeka” really means.

For most of us, it is a day of pride. A day to remember the sacrifices made by those who came before us, and the courage it took to build a nation that could determine its own future.

But Merdeka is also about something else.

It is about having the courage to speak up when something is not right. And that is something that has become very personal for FTAFA.

For so many years, fencing in Malaysia has gone through a dark and difficult period. And more recently, there have been serious questions about governance, transparency, accountability, the treatment of athletes and associations, and the way decisions are made.

FTAFA has raised some of those questions.

We have asked about finances. We have asked about processes. We have asked about disciplinary decisions. We have asked about athlete selection.

We have asked why decisions that affect athletes, coaches, clubs and state associations cannot be made more clearly, more openly and more fairly.

These are not unreasonable questions. In fact, they are exactly the kind of questions that any responsible sports association should be willing to ask.

But asking them has come at a cost.

FTAFA has faced suspension. We have faced expulsion.

We have been criticised, challenged, mocked, harassed and even boycotted by many in the fencing community.

There have been moments when it would have been much easier to keep quiet, accept what was happening and simply move on. To compromise our principles and moral values.

But that is not why we are here.

We are not involved in fencing just to manage competitions or send athletes to events. We are here because we believe in the sport. We believe in the young people who train every day. We believe in the coaches who give their time. We believe in the parents who sacrifice so much financially and personally to support their children.

And because of that, we cannot simply look away when we believe the system can and should be better.

This has never been about attacking individuals. It has never been about trying to bring Malaysian fencing down.

Quite the opposite.

FTAFA has continued to fight because we want Malaysian fencing to grow.

We want a sport where athletes are selected because they deserve to be selected.

We want a sport where clubs, coaches and athletes can give honest opinions without worrying about the consequences.

We want responsible & accountable state associations to be able to raise legitimate concerns without being treated as enemies.

We want financial matters to be clear and transparent.

We want disciplinary processes to be fair.

We want decisions to be based on rules, not personalities, nepotism or cronyism.

We want our young athletes to be protected from bullying and harassment.

Most importantly, we want young fencers to grow up believing that if they work hard enough, perform well enough and behave professionally, they will be given a fair chance.

That should not be too much to ask.

For me, that is where the meaning of Merdeka connects with the situation we are facing today.

Malaysian fencing needs to be free from dark cloud of fear.

People should not be afraid to ask questions.

It needs to be free from favouritism.

Opportunities should be earned through merit.

It needs to be free from secrecy.

Those entrusted with running the sport must be prepared to explain their decisions.

And it needs to be free from a culture of napoleons where disagreement is automatically seen as disloyalty.

Sometimes the people who care the most are the ones who ask the hardest questions.

FTAFA will continue to do that.

We will also continue doing what we have always done — developing athletes, supporting coaches, building grassroots programmes, creating opportunities and helping our fencers compete at the highest level possible.

We will not allow our disagreements with the way Malaysian fencing is governed to stop us from developing the sport.

At the same time, we will not stop asking for better governance.

We will continue to use the proper channels available to us.

Where questions need answers, we will ask them.

Where decisions need to be challenged, we will challenge them professionally.

Where matters need to be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities, we will do so.

And where we believe athletes or members of the fencing community are being treated unfairly, we will speak up.

Not because we want a fight.

But because sometimes staying silent is easier than doing what is right.

FTAFA has already been through a great deal.

There may be more difficult days ahead.

That is something we accept.

Because this is bigger than FTAFA.

It is about the 12-year-old fencer who dreams of one day representing Malaysia.

It is about the teenager training six days a week hoping to earn a place in the national team.

It is about the parents spending their savings to send their children overseas for competitions and training.

It is about the coaches who spend years building athletes.

It is about every club and state association that has worked to grow this sport.

All of them deserve a system they can trust.

One day, the current generation of administrators, coaches and officials will no longer be involved in fencing.

What matters is the system we leave behind.

I hope we can leave behind a Malaysian fencing community that is stronger, more open and more professional than the one we inherited.

A sport where nobody needs special connections.

A sport where nobody needs to be afraid of asking questions.

A sport where athletes know where they stand.

A sport where financial and administrative decisions can withstand scrutiny.

A sport where leaders understand that their positions are temporary, but the institution they are entrusted with belongs to future generations.

That is the Malaysian fencing FTAFA wants to see.

And that is why we will continue.

We will continue developing athletes.

We will continue serving our members.

We will continue asking questions.

We will continue pushing for transparency.

And we will continue standing up for what we believe is right.

Not out of anger.

Not out of revenge.

But because we genuinely believe Malaysian fencing can be better.

On this Independence Day, perhaps that is the most appropriate message we can share.

Merdeka is not only about being free.

It is also about having the courage to build something better.

That is what FTAFA intends to keep doing.

For our athletes.

For our fencing community.

For the future of Malaysian fencing.

Selamat Hari Kebangsaan.

Merdeka!!!

Badroel Rizwan Bahar
President
Federal Territory Amateur Fencing Association (FTAFA)

Let’s go MALAYSIA 🇲🇾!!!

We wish the Malaysian fencers who will be competing at FIE Fencing World Championships 2026 in Hong Kong, starting 22 July 2026 all the best !! We are proud to be represented by our two members - Uzair Zafran Badroel Rizwan (Men’s Foil Ind & Team event) and Muhammad Amir Syzwan Abdul Hadi (Men’s Epee) 🤺🤺.

Good luck gentlemen !!! We are behind you all the way 💪🏼💪🏼

CONGRATULATIONS, COACH NURUL AFFIQ & COACH JESAIAH! 🤺👏🏼

The Federal Territory Amateur Fencing Association (FTAFA) extends its warmest congratulations to Nurul Affiq Nazril Ismail and Jesaiah Lyshant Rabindranath on their appointment as fencing coaches for the Majlis Sukan Wilayah Persekutuan (MSWP) BAKAT Programme.

The BAKAT Programme, an athlete-development initiative organised by Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) and implemented in collaboration with state sports councils, plays an important role in identifying, nurturing and developing young sporting talent for the future.

Both coaches bring valuable experience from their competitive fencing careers.

Coach Nurul Affiq represented Malaysia in men’s foil and demonstrated tremendous courage, discipline and resilience throughout his years as an athlete. Coach Jesaiah, an accomplished men’s épée fencer and double gold medallist at SUKMA 2024, brings strong competitive experience at both national and international levels.

Their transition from competitive athletes to coaches reflects their continued commitment to the development of Malaysian fencing. Their technical knowledge, practical experience and understanding of the demands faced by young athletes will be invaluable in guiding the next generation of Wilayah Persekutuan fencers.

FTAFA is confident that both coaches will play an important role in strengthening the BAKAT Programme and developing talented young fencers who may one day represent Wilayah Persekutuan and Malaysia with distinction.

Congratulations once again, Coach Nurul Affiq and Coach Jesaiah. We wish you every success in this new responsibility and look forward to seeing the positive impact of your leadership on our young athletes.

Developing Talent. Building Champions. Shaping the Future of Fencing.

FTAFA is inviting aspiring, young fencers age 13-16 years old to join Wilayah Persekutuan BAKAT Lawan Pedang program!! 🤺🤺🤺.

There is be an open registration and briefing session this Friday evening, 📅 17 July 2026 ⏰ 8 pm at 📍 Centrepoint, Bandar Utama.

We are searching for passionate, talented, disciplined and committed athletes to be the next generation of fencing champions for Wilayah Persekutuan 💪🏼💪🏼. So to any interested fencers (especially Sabreists and epeeist), please do join our briefing session and find out our more on how the BAKAT program can benefit and help your fencing development 😊😊

🏆 AMAZING RESULTS – A CLEAN SWEEP! 🏆

🥇🥈🥉🥉 Top 4. One Team. One Mission.

Fresh off an intensive training camp in Japan 🇯🇵, our FTAFA BAKAT Men’s Foil athletes delivered an outstanding performance by sweeping the Top 4 podium positions in the NS U14 Men’s Foil event! 🤺🔥

🏅 Champion – Travis
🥈 Runner-up – Guan Han
🥉 Oliver
🥉 Putera

Congratulations, boys! 👏👏👏

All four athletes train at Blade Club KL (Blade Club Kuala Lumpur) and are among the pioneering batch of the FTAFA BAKAT Programme, developed in collaboration with Majlis Sukan Wilayah Persekutuan (MSWP).

Their success is a testament to the effectiveness of a structured athlete development pathway, working closely with coaches at the club level. Through the BAKAT Programme, these young fencers are being nurtured to become the next generation of champions and future representatives of the Wilayah Persekutuan SUKMA Team.

Seeing them return from Japan and immediately produce results like this gives us great confidence that the future of WP fencing is in capable hands.

At FTAFA, we are incredibly proud of your dedication, hard work, and determination. This is only the beginning, and we can’t wait to see what lies ahead.

Keep believing. Keep working. Keep winning. 💪🤺