Amita Berthier and Kiria Tikanah: One for All on the Piste and All for One behind the Scenes

So many things have been said about fencing: one of just five sports to have featured in every edition of the Olympics since 1896, “physical chess”, the image of swashbuckling swordsmen trying to outdo each other amid clashes of cold steel, a mix of raw power and balletic grace… 

Yet on the piste, the 14-metre metallic strip on which fencers square off against each other, it is always a one-on-one affair, even during team events. 

On the piste, it is always a lone fencer against another. (Photo credit: Amita Berthier Instagram)

Behind every fencer, however, lies an entire support network that covers training and every other conceivable aspect, to ensure the fencer has every edge, in a sport where fractions of a second or a centimetre can be the difference between a valid and non-valid touch, which in turn determines victory or defeat.

As two-time Olympians Amita Berthier and Kiria Tikanah would attest, the strength of the support behind them has not only propelled them to where they are today, but would be crucial to their chances of future success.

Amita Berthier: No longer the callow debutante

Ranked 35th in the world in women's foil going into the Paris Olympics, Amita secured qualification via her individual ranking points on March 17 this year.

(Photo credit: Amita Berthier Instagram)

Her hopes of a top-eight finish were unfortunately dashed following a nail-biting bout against eventual silver medalist Lauren Scruggs of the USA, which saw Amita trail 2-6, lead 12-9, but ultimately bow out with a 13-15 loss.

Yet this bout still represents her growth, from an inexperienced debutante in the 2020 Tokyo Games to an accomplished fencer who came close to beating an opponent ranked 11th in the world.

In her pursuit of fencing excellence, Amita can count on the support of her family and more. As Fencing Singapore president Juliana Seow put it: “We will give her the full support that she needs, as we have always endeavoured to… I thank the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) and Sport Singapore for rendering assistance on this Olympic journey.”

Amita celebrating a touch against Lauren Scruggs in their bout at the Paris Olympics. (Photo credit: SNOC Facebook)

Beyond the support from the backroom staff, the women’s individual foil event at the 2024 Olympics was a special family affair for Amita as well, as it was held in France, where her late father Eric was born.

Amita’s mother and her three older siblings along with some of their relatives living in France were in the stands at the Grand Palais, cheering her on. This was something the Berthiers were not able to do at her Tokyo 2020 debut due to Covid-19 restrictions.

And as Amita told The Straits Times: “This qualification year I had a lot of personal struggles, so my family knew what I was going through. Qualifying really meant a lot to me because I wasn’t sure if I was going to qualify or not, and then I did. So having them there, assuring me that I’ll be fine whether I qualify or not, helped a lot.

Kiria Tikanah: “I left it all on the piste”

Paris 2024 is Kiria Tikanah’s second outing at the Olympics. (Photo credit: Fencing Singapore Facebook)

To qualify for her second Olympics, 24-year-old Kiria Tikanah had to survive a nail-biting finish in her final bout against India's Taniksha Khatri at the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier on April 28, holding on to her 14-13 lead and eventually securing the victory after Khatri was shown a red card, awarding the winning point to Kiria.

In Paris, Kiria would first cause a shock result by upsetting world No. 46 Maria Calderon 15-14 to reach the table of 32, avenging her loss to the Peruvian at the 2023 world championships in the process.

Up against world No. 3 Alberta Santuccio in the next round, Kiria stayed level at 2-2 after the first period, but the Italian’s greater experience told as she began to pull away during the second period, eventually defeating Kiria with a score of 15-10.

Kiria scoring with a stop thrust on Italy’s Alberta Santuccio in their table-of-32 match. (Photo credit: SNOC Facebook)

Kiria understandably felt disappointed, but as she told The Straits Times, it was a far cry from her Olympic debut four years ago: “The disappointment comes a bit different this time round. The last time I was disappointed with how I fenced, but now I’m quite satisfied and I’m more disappointed by the result.I gave everything that I had, I left it all on the piste, I did my best. I couldn’t have done anything more different and that was the best I could do.”

Kiria’s coach Henry Koh expressed pride at her performance. 

“To have put up such a fight, I’m really happy about it. It’s always bittersweet when you try your best but I think she has no regrets, she gave it her all.”

Facing the competition with confidence

Despite competing in different disciplines, Amita and Kiria have forged a close friendship through their Olympics debut in Tokyo, and will be looking to support each other in their quest to bring fencing glory to Singapore. 

But whilst in France, they too enjoyed the full support of the team behind Team Singapore, as their coaches also work with support staff such as physiotherapists and nutritionists to cover all bases and ensure that a multidisciplinary approach is in place to ensure that “all aspects of Team Singapore athletes’ training, health and well-being are aligned and optimised”, as SSI dietitian Parimala Sivaperuman (pictured below) says.

Specific to fencing, Parimala highlights the need for fencers to maintain their concentration and reaction times by staying hydrated during bouts, as they have to wear thick fencing suits which cause fencers to sweat more.

Yet the bigger challenge for Parimala is perhaps ensuring the athletes keep to their nutrition plans, especially when they are caught up with training and competition, or faced with tempting options. Parimala says,

“To overcome this, I emphasize the importance of nutrition in performance and recovery, provide practical tips for meal preparation and options when dining out, and offer regular check-ins to monitor adherence and address any concerns.”

The Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) conducted a Nutritional Cooking Workshop where national fencers learnt to cook delicious yet nutritious meals for optimal performance. (Photo credit: Fencing Singapore Facebook)

With many pillars of support behind them, Kiria and Amita are ready to take on their opponents with ever-greater confidence, as they chart their next moves after the Olympics.

Catch Team Singapore live in action in Paris on Singtel TV, CAST.SG and mewatch