Rhine-Ruhr, Germany – July 27, 2025
As we continue our day-by-day reflections from the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr World University Games, Day 2 brought South Africa’s fencing trio into the spotlight. Harry Saner, Rahul van Manen, and Christiaan Bester took to the piste early in the morning for the preliminary seeding rounds of the Men’s Épée event—ready to test their skill and resolve on one of the sport’s biggest university stages.
Each athlete was placed into a round-robin group of seven, with fencers competing in six bouts within their pool. These results determined the seeding for the knockout stages that would follow. In the group phase, bouts were contested to 5 points, while the direct elimination rounds required 15 points to secure victory.
Group Stage Battles: A Mixed Bag of Results
Harry Saner competed in Group 13, where he faced a challenging lineup including opponents from Taiwan, Germany, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Belgium, and Ukraine. The day started on a tough note for Saner, who narrowly lost his first two bouts 4-5 and 2-5. However, he showed admirable composure to bounce back with victories over Kiril Pavlov (5-2) and Leandro Suari May (5-4). After a close 4-5 loss in his penultimate match, he closed out the round on a high, defeating Pavlo Trofymenko (5-3). Saner finished the group phase with a balanced 3-3 record.
Rahul van Manen was placed in Group 11, featuring fencers from Finland, Israel, Macau, Hungary, Switzerland, and Estonia. He made a strong start, winning three of his first four bouts with results of 5-2, 2-5, 5-2, and 5-1. However, momentum slipped away in the final stretch, as he fell to Marko Kuhta (2-5) and Leo Kaminer (1-5), also ending the group stage with a 3-3 record.
South African national champion Christiaan Bester took on Group 10, which included a diverse mix of fencers from Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Bester impressed early on, securing three consecutive wins (5-3, 5-0, 5-3) before a close defeat (4-5) in his final bout against Omar Alakkas. He closed the group stage with a strong 4-2 record—earning him a direct bye into the Table of 64 round.
Knockout Rounds: Brave Efforts Fall Just Short
Based on their pool stage performances, the knockout pairings were confirmed:
- Van Manen faced Poland’s Jan Socha in the Table of 128.
- Saner went up against Nolan Wingerter of France in the same round.
- Bester, thanks to his higher seeding, received a bye into the Table of 64, where he was matched against Mykhailo Krasniuk of Ukraine.
All three fencers gave determined performances, but the results unfortunately went against the South African contingent. Both Van Manen and Bester fought incredibly close contests, with Van Manen narrowly edged out 14-15 in a nail-biting finish, and Bester falling 12-15 after a gritty duel. Saner’s challenge was halted by the French fencer, bringing South Africa’s Day 2 fencing efforts to a close.
Looking Ahead: Regrouping for the Team Event
Despite the early exits in the individual competition, the trio left the piste with their heads held high, having shown resilience and tactical growth throughout the day. Their journey was not over—all three were set to return to action in the Men’s Team Épée event, scheduled for two days later, offering another chance to showcase their collective strength.
Stay tuned as we continue our daily reviews and bring you more from Day 2 from the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr World University Games.
For More South African Sports News: Sport South Africa Home Page
For More South African Fencing News: South Africa’s Fencing Trio Ready to Cross Swords at 2025 World University Games
Harry Saner: South Africa’s Olympic Knight in Shining Armour
