Eyeing epic feat in epee

Man with big goals: Joshua Koh is hoping to regain the SEA Games epee individual title, 12 years after striking his first in the 2011 edition in Palembang.

PETALING JAYA: Better to try and fail than never to try at all.

That’s why Joshua Koh has put his job as a fencing coach on hold to focus on an all-out assault at the SEA Games crown and also on his Olympic dream.

The 32-year-old has been training on his own in Pisa, Italy, since early this month to prepare for the Cambodia SEA Games challenge.

Joshua is hoping to regain the SEA Games epee individual title, 12 years after striking his first in the 2011 edition in Palembang.

If he succeeds, he will become the only Malaysian fencer to win two SEA Games individual gold medals.

The Malaysian Fencing Federation (MFF) are pining their hopes on Joshua and United States-based fencer Hans Yoong to make the podium in Phnom Penh.

But for Joshua, it means much more if the fencing team can make their presence felt in the SEA Games.

“I’ve been here in Pisa for the past two weeks and plan to fly straight to Cambodia to join the team when the competition starts (from May 11-16),” said Joshua.

“I train here under coach Enrico Di Ciolo at the Club Scherma Antonio Di Ciolo with the other Italian fencers.

“Italy is ideal for me because it is a fencing powerhouse. They not only have top fencers but they have many experienced ones to help improve our level.

“In Malaysia, we only have a limited number of fencers. The environment here is good and there are no distractions.

“I hope I can do well at the SEA Games again. It’s been a while since we won a fencing gold and if we can do it, it will surely raise the status of the sport in the country,” said Joshua, who showed he can still be depended on by bagging silver and bronze in the 2019 (Manila) and 2021 (Hanoi) editions.

It will be the seventh SEA Games appearance for Joshua, who has been active in fencing since 2003.

He won the team event bronze medal in his debut at the 2007 edition in Korat before claiming the individual gold and team bronze in Indonesia in 2011 and the individual bronze at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

Joshua only failed to bring back a medal from the 2015 Singapore edition, while fencing was not contested at the 2009 Laos and 2013 Myanmar editions.

“In epee fencing, it’s all about experience. My main rivals for epee should be from Vietnam and Philippines again.”

Joshua has his reason to deliver the goods in Cambodia.

“Malaysian fencing is self funded and the association helped support me for this training stint in Italy,” he said.

“I want to focus on the Olympic qualifying campaign as it will start right after the SEA Games.

“I hope to go for as many competitions as I can to collect the ranking points but this will need funding and support.

“My Olympics dream is still alive and I will welcome any funding that comes my way. Doing well in the SEA Games will surely help my cause.”