Australian Fencing

Australian Sporting Commission announces 2017/18 funding allocations

Election of new AFF directors

The AFF is pleased to announce that the following new directors were elected to the AFF Board at the Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2017:

* Ms Angela Bensted
* Mr Chris Nonis
* Mr Garry Webster

We welcome Angela, Chris and Garry to the Board, joining continuing directors Ms Evelyn Halls, Mr Vincent Elias and Mr Jeremy Shelley.

Our new directors have a wide range of skills and experience, and we are confident they will make a valuable contribution to the continued development of Australian fencing.

At its first meeting on 21 May 2017, the Board appointed Dr Frank Walsh as an appointed director for a 2 year term. Frank's appointment will assist in ensuring continuity during a period of significant Board renewal.

The Board thanks all of the nominees for elected director positions for their willingness to give up their time and effort to contribute to the success of fencing in Australia.

Life Membership - Andrew Ius

Mr Andrew Ius was awarded Life membership of the Australian Fencing Federation Ltd (AFF) at the Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2017, in recognition of his many years of devoted service to the AFF and his invaluable contribution to the development of fencing in Australia.

Andrew’s involvement in the administration of Australian fencing extends over a period of 30 years, an incredible commitment of volunteer time and energy.

Most recently, Andrew served as the President of the AFF (and its predecessor entity, the Australian Fencing Federation Inc) from 2009 to 2016.

Andrew’s calm guidance and considered judgment contributed to the stable governance of the organisation during a period of considerable change, including transition to a new corporate structure and the redesign of the High Performance Program.

Andrew had been a member of the former AFF Executive (and the current Board) for 32 years, having been first elected in 1985. Andrew retired from the Board at the Annual General Meeting on 20 May 2017.

During his tenure, Andrew served in a range of roles (including Treasurer, Secretary-General and Public Officer) and sat on a number of Commissions, including the Tournament Management Commission, the Finance & Administration Commission and the Selection Commission.

During his career, Andrew has taken on team management roles for several Australian representative teams at major championships, including the World Cadet & Junior Championships and the Commonwealth Championships.

Andrew has also made an extensive contribution to the management of international fencing events in Australia and overseas, including in the following roles:
  - Sports Information Manager (fencing), Sydney Olympic Games (2000)
  - Event Director, International Epee Challenge World Cup (1992 & 1993)
  - Event Management Team, Challenge Australia (1994 – 2011)
  - Event Management Team, Veteran World Championships (2007)
  - Chair, Directoire Technique, Australian Youth Olympic Festival (2009)
  - Directoire Technique assistant, Commonwealth Veteran Championships (2012)
  - Directoire Technique member, Asian Senior Championships (2012)
  - Directoire Technique member, Olympic Zone Qualifier (2012)

Prior to joining the AFF Executive, Andrew held a range of positions with the Victorian Amateur Fencing Association (now Fencing Victoria), including periods as Treasurer, Secretary and Public Officer.

News reports regarding Michael O'Brien

The Australian Fencing Federation is shocked and disappointed to learn that Queensland fencing coach Michael O'Brien has reportedly pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to one count of gross indecency involving a child under 16. The offence is reported to have occurred in Melbourne in the 1970s.

The AFF Board will be taking all necessary steps to implement appropriate disciplinary action.

The AFF aims to provide a safe environment for all participants in AFF activities to train, compete and enjoy the sport of fencing. Sexual, physical and emotional abuse of athletes or other participants at all levels of our sport is inconsistent with our values and is strictly prohibited.

The AFF has a Member Protection Policy (MPP) in place for the safety of participants in AFF activities. Equivalent policies are in place at the State level. Any member who believes they have been subject to behaviour which breaches these policies is encouraged to report it to the AFF, their State Association or the police (where applicable).  

2017 Annual General Meeting

The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Australian Fencing Federation Ltd will be held at 9:30am on 20 May 2017, at the North Melbourne Recreation Centre in Arden Street, North Melbourne, Victoria.

The key items of business to be considered at the meeting include:

* the directors' report and financial report for the financial year ending 31 December 2016

* the appointment of immediate past President Andew Ius as a life member of the AFF

* the election of directors to fill the three vacant elected director positions.

The AFF has received six nominations for the three elected director positions - the nominees are Kelvin Andrews, Angela Bensted, Tuko Maia, Chris Nonis, Jutta Schortmann and Garry Webster.

The AFF is delighted that so many members of the fencing community have indicated their willingness to take on a director role. Given the resource-constrained environment in which the AFF operates, director are required to take on operational portfoilio, involving a significant contribution of time and energy.

Due to the AFF's federated structure, voting rights on all issues (includng the election of directors) are held by the member States. However, all registered fencers are welcome to attend the AGM.

OFC announces funding for Oceania fencers

The Oceania Fencing Confederation has announced the award of significant funding from the FIE President Mr Alisher Usmanov, through his Charity Fund for the Future of Fencing, to assist fencers from Oceania who are seeking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The funding will initially be directed to selected high performing fencers based on their senior FIE ranking as at 30 April 2017, subject to certain conditions. These conditions include that fencers must be under the age of 30 at 1 January 2017 and must commit to attending specified competitions during the funding period. The allocation of funds will be reviewed regularly (based on FIE ranking) over the three year period leading up to the Tokyo Olympics.

The AFF welcomes the allocation of funding from the Charity Fund for the Future of Fencing, which is expected to greatly assist Australian fencers in their Olympic qualification journey. We are indebted to the OFC for their ongoing efforts to support the growth and development of fencing in our region. 

Nominations open for FCA C Licence Refereeing Exam

The Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA) will be holding the next Refereeing C Licence Seminar and Exam in Bangkok, Thailand from 5 to 7 September 2017, immediately prior to the Asian Veterans Fencing Championships. The C Licence qualification is the first step on the pathway to international refereeing accreditation.

The AFF may nominate one candidate for each weapon to participate in the Seminar and Exam. Expressions of interest should be sent to the AFF at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., together with a brief summary of your refereeing qualifications and experience, by Monday, 15 May 2017.

Candidates are required to pay their own travel and accommodation expenses, but may be provided with a partial subsidy depending on the applications received.

Australian fencing receives AOC support

The AFF is pleased to announce that we have received funding from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to support an intensive training and competition program for our Men's Foil team in the lead-up to their 2017 key benchmark events - the Asian Championships in June and the World Championships in July.

The allocation of funding by the AOC recognises the significant international results achieved by the Men's Foil squad in recent years, including back to back Top 8 finishes at the 2015 & 2016 World Junior Championships.

The AOC funds will be used to support the attendance of four fencers and a coach at the FIE Grand Prix event in Shanghai and the FIE World Cup in St Petersburg during May 2017, as well as the staging of two additional high performance training camps over the next three months.

The funding provided by the AOC has been allocated to the top four fencers in the current Men's Foil rankings - Sholto Douglas, Jesse Morris, Ned Fitzgerald and Lucas Webber. The team will be accompanied by National Foil Coach Antonio Signorello in Shanghai and Assistant National Foi Coach Rob di Pasquale in St Petersburg.

The AFF is grateful for the AOC's ongoing support of Austraian fencing and we value the AOC's assistance as we work towards qualifying fencers for the 2020 Olympics and beyond. We wish the Men's Foil team and their coaches all the best for a successful overseas campaign, as they seek to build on the encouraging results achieved to date.