Over 100 fencers in the Senior and Veteran Categories saw action at the Negeri Sembilan Open Championship 2023 (NSOC 2023) hosted by the Negeri Sembilan Fencing Association (NSFA) from 2 to 3 September at the Majestic Hall in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
The competition attracted both local and foreign participants and was made possible with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS Malaysia), Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), the Negeri Sembilan State Sports Council (MSNNS), the Malaysian Fencing Federation (MFF) and corporate sponsors.
The event was graced by YAM Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Ali Redhauddin ibni Tuanku Muhriz, YAM Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz, The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports of Malaysia, Hannah Yeoh, as well as Dato’ Mohd Faizal Ramli and Haji Mustapha Nagoor who are members of the Negeri Sembilan Exco, Rusni Abu Hassan from MFF, Zain Azrai bin Rashid of MyCEB, Dato’ Sabuddin Haji Sani from MSNNS, and Dato’ Mandy Chew of Lexis Hotels Group.
At the end of the event, YAM Tunku Ali Redhauddin, patron of NSFA, said, “I am happy to see an international competition of this standard here in Port Dickson, and it is my hope that the NSFA builds on this success to make this a flagship fencing event. Many congratulations to all who were involved in organising this event, as well as the winners and participants for their efforts. Thank you also to KBS Malaysia, MyCEB, MFF, MSNNS and our corporate sponsors for their support.”
Tengku Dato’ Mu’adzam Sadruddin bin Tengku Noone Aziz, NSFA president, commented, “We are pleased to see the successful conclusion of the Inaugural Negeri Sembilan Open Championship 2023 in Port Dickson for Senior and Veteran fencers. One of our objectives of holding this tournament is to allow our local fencers to compete with other international athletes on home ground. It also serves to elevate the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie amongst participants from various countries. As hosts, we can’t help but feel proud to be able to give visitors a warm welcome to the idyllic coastal town of Port Dickson, where fencers and their families were able to enjoy some sun, sea, and great food!”
Tengku Dato’ Mu’adzam added that the NSFA hopes to have the NSOC as an annual event and to be a fixture on both the sporting and tourism calendars.
MFF president, Rusni Abu Hassan also shared her enthusiasm towards the event, “I am glad to see an event of this nature in Negeri Sembilan, as MFF has always encouraged its member associations to host events in their home states, as it will broaden the reach of the sport of fencing in Malaysia. Increased exposure to the sport will hopefully lead to greater participation, which in turn, increases the pool of talent for our country.”
Dato’ Sabuddin bin Haji Sani, director of the MSNNS, congratulated the NSFA “for successfully hosting this competition. Majlis Sukan Negeri, Negeri Sembilan will endeavour to continue supporting our Negeri Sembilan athletes and to encourage members of the public to take up sporting activities for a healthy lifestyle.”
The event was also supported by MyCEB, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia. MyCEB’s acting chief executive officer Zain Azrai bin Rashid, said, “We are pleased to be invited to this sporting event as MyCEB’s aim of bringing international participants to Malaysia, via sporting events, conventions and exhibitions is achieved through events such as the NSOC 2023. We hope to be able to support more events of this nature in the future.”
The NSOC 2023 was held over two days and saw both the Senior and Veteran categories for the three fencing disciplines of Epee, Foil and Sabre.
Source: NSFA
