By Neto Baptiste
The Antigua and Barbuda Fencing Federation (ABFF) is facing a shortage of qualified coaches, limiting the number of new athletes it can accommodate.
ABFF President Rameez Mascall said the federation would like to welcome everyone interested in taking up the sport, but the limited number of coaches means it must place restrictions on enrolment to ensure athletes receive proper attention and training.
“As much as we would love to accept everybody who wants to come, we can only allocate X amount of students to a coach, as you realise it is a very hands-on sport and, with the potential for danger, and so there’s a safe amount of students that you can accommodate at any one given time,” Mascall said.
He also pointed to the fact that the federation’s coaches are volunteers, making their availability even more limited.
“Bear in mind that our coaches are all volunteers, so it’s not anybody’s day job, and so their time is constricted as they have to balance between them and the rest of their family lives and professional lives,” he added.
Mascall revealed that there are currently only three active coaches within the federation, despite growing interest in the sport.
He said the federation has been encouraged by participation levels at its recent tournaments, with almost 30 athletes competing at each of the events held in December and March.
“We’ve had two tournaments in recent times. We had one in December; we had another one in March of this year, and both tournaments had 28 athletes, and we’ve had others who have joined after, and we have a lot of interest from other persons who are asking to join,” Mascall said.
The federation is now preparing for its 2026 National Championships, scheduled for October 17th to 18th. Competitors will contest the men’s and women’s Under-16 and Over-16 categories at the championships.
Mascall said the venue for the national championships has not yet been finalised, but the federation will announce the location once a decision has been made.
Fencing Faces Coaching Crunch as Interest Grows
