‘It’s not going to be easy’: Singapore fencer Kiria confident of Asian Games medal despite strong competition, Sports News

While Kiria has set herself a clear personal target, Team Singapore is heading to Aichi-Nagoya without a public medal target, with chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan saying the focus is on athletes producing their best performances.

Aichi-Nagoya will also mark another milestone for Kiria, who will carry the Singapore flag at the opening ceremony alongside kayaker Brandon Ooi.

Kiria was the first Singaporean woman to compete in the Olympic women’s individual epee event, representing the Republic at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

She made her Asian Games debut in Jakarta in 2018 as one of the younger fencers in Singapore’s set-up. Eight years later, she will head to Japan as the oldest member of the Republic’s fencing team.

“It feels like I’m coming full circle,” she said.

Her position within the team has changed too, with younger fencers now looking to her for guidance.

Kiria said the experience she has accumulated from two Olympics and two previous Asian Games has also helped her deal with the emotional swings of competition.

“I try not to let a few bad hits or a few bad matches spoil the day,” she said. “Whether it’s a good win or whether it’s a loss, I try to focus on the next match.”

When advising younger teammates heading into major Games, Kiria said she draws on what she would have wanted to hear earlier in her career.

“For the younger ones especially, just really enjoy the process,” she said. “There are so many more years and so many more chances to come.”

Her flag-bearing role also follows that of fellow Singapore fencer and close friend Amita Berthier, who carried the flag at the previous Asian Games.

Kiria said she had not expected to be chosen to succeed Berthier, whom she described as one of the fencers she admires. The pair also represented Singapore together at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

Her preparations will continue almost until competition begins, with training camps planned up to the week before her event as she looks to peak at the right time in Japan.

editor@asiaone.com