Confessions of a Travelling Fencer: Samsun, Singapore & SUKMA a busy season.

One thing about being a travelling fencer is that the competition calendar never seems to slow down. Let me catch you up. Before heading to Samsun, Türkiye, I was part of the Selangor fencing team that won its first-ever SUKMA team gold. SUKMA, or the Malaysia Games, is our major multi-sport event held every two years, winning gold with the team was a special moment. There was barely time to celebrate before I headed to Singapore for the Asian Cadet Cup, where I came away with a silver medal. It was another encouraging result, and then it was time to get back on the road for Türkiye. Where our story begins.

I flew AirAsia into Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) on Istanbul’s Asian side, before connecting with AJet for the onward journey to Samsun. The airport is becoming an increasingly useful low-cost gateway between Asia, Europe and the Middle East, with plenty of connecting flights to destinations across Türkiye and beyond. For travelling fencers like me, who need to get to competitions without blowing the budget, it worked out well another reminder that getting there is all part of the travelling fencer experience. But I still have yet to get my feet on European soil. (next trip I will tick that box and Africa too)

The story on the piste in Samsun was a pretty good. I had a strong run in the Cadet competition before finishing fifth. The Junior event followed literally the next day, and I managed to produce my best performance in a Junior World Cup, finishing 14th. Congratulations to Roy Graham from the United States, who went on to win the Junior event. There is always more to learn, good to see the practice is paying off in terms of progress.

Before leaving Kuala Lumpur, I did some extensive research, well what I did was go to my favourite Turkish restaurant Istanbul Café Kuala Lumpur and asked Chef Denis what is the best food in the area, it turns out that it is Pide, which is best described as Turkish pizza. I would get my hands on some of that good food and more.  

Samsun sits on the Black Sea coast, and I managed to get some great shots by the water between the demands of competition. The city also has an important place in Turkish history. It was where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk arrived in 1919, marking a significant moment in the country's War of Independence. It is fascinating to visit somewhere with such a strong historical identity, even when most of your time is spent inside a fencing venue. I will always get some time to find a historical or cultural monument.

I also managed to experience a Turkish bath, this is an amazing experience. I decided to do it after the fencing was done. Which was perfect. They treat you like a king. It was a mix of facial, stretching, massage and sauna with cool water. I’m willing to be a test subject for any university students doing research on post exercise recovering using Turkish bath. 

Samsun is famous for its pide, a boat-shaped Turkish flatbread with savoury fillings, and Türkiye has so many great dishes to explore. The hotel was surrounded by places to eat, which made things even more tempting. Let’s just say I was hitting my carbo-loading targets. Unfortunately, I had to keep my nutrition on track during the tournament, so I spoke with Justine from SNAC to help me stay focused. Sometimes being an athlete means looking at all that delicious food and reminding yourself that the competition comes first.

Between SUKMA, Singapore and Samsun, it has been a busy stretch. I returned to Malaysia needing to catch up on schoolwork, while also making sure I recovered properly. With just three days before the Malaysian Open, I had to fit in a sports massage, dry needling, chiropractic treatment with Ian the Chiro, Oxygen therapy with Japanese Healing and a session with Dr.stretch. All made possible with the scheduling by momager and some very understanding teachers who let me submit my projects online.  

For student-athletes, wanting to do all these things means competition schedules, recovery sessions and trying to keep up with schoolwork between flights and also finding time to hang-out with friends. That's the reality of balancing international fencing with school. You spend months preparing for competitions, a few days fighting for every point, and then suddenly you are back home trying to get everything else in order.

The bigger plan is to keep enjoying the Cadet and Junior season, continue improving and hopefully compete in the Istanbul Senior World Cup in March next year. For now, Samsun has given me another valuable international experience, a fifth-place Cadet finish and my best Junior World Cup result.

And just when I thought I could catch my breath, the Malaysian Open was next. With only three days to recover, I was about to find out just how much more I had left in the tank. But that is a story for another time. That and the next big trip to Tunisa, where I will land in the other airport in Istanbul and then head to Tunis and Hammamet for my first taste of North Africa.

Until then, Samsun will remain a memorable page in the life of a travelling fencer, a city of history, food and some wonderful memories.

NDA’s “Confessions of a Travelling Fencer” is a personal story of what a young Malaysian fencer, Saif Nordin, gets to experience off the piste, as he travels the world for the sport he loves. Saif believes it’s important to remember that “Not everything that glitters is Gold”. He said, “Even as a fencer, we love the taste of victory and the gold around our necks.”