Nomvula Mbatha: “We Need More Girls in Fencing”

Senior women’s saber champion Nomvula Mbatha shares her ambition to open her own fencing club for girls, as she hopes to inspire more women to join the sport.

Mbatha, who is currently part of the Soweto Fencing Club in Diepkloof, says that her ambition is to use her knowledge and experience in future to guide young girls as a coach in the sport.

In September 2022, Mbatha competed at the SA Fencing Championship where she clinched the title.

The 25-year-old also share her career highlights to date, which include attending her first competition beyond South Africa’s boarders at the 2014 African Youth Games.

Speaking with Tlamelo Kganakga, Mbatha chats more about her love for fencing.

Nomvula, thank you so much for chatting to us! In September 2022, you were crowned the winner at the SA Fencing Championship. How was that experience for you?

It was really hard winning that competition, the competition itself was hard, but I really enjoyed it! I was very happy to win another championship again.

When and where did your love for sport begin?

Back in primary school, I used to play soccer, but I wasn’t that good and then the school introduced fencing to us. At first, I didn’t join, then the following year I started training with the team and that is when I my love for Fencing began. But after winning, I told myself that I’m not quitting this sport because I’m good at it.

How do you balance school and sport, and what kind of support are you getting from your parents?

You know it is very easy when you are studying sports because some of the things you do during a class lesson you just apply them when training and competing, but the problem starts where you have to go and compete far and its exams week, then you have to train and study at the same time. With time you start to plan everything, and you know when to study and when to train.

At first my whole family didn’t understand fencing at all but when I kept on winning and coming back with medals, they got used to the fact that I love the sport, even though they see it as something dangerous, but they understand and love it now.

Please take us back to the Qualifiers in Cairo last year. How was the experience and what did you take from it?

The qualifiers were the biggest competition I have ever attended, to be honest. I was really hurt that I did not win the competition, other than that it was a good experience because now I want to work twice as hard and I want to thank Vodacom and Tinpack for believing in me, I’m very grateful.

What are some of the challenges you have faced in your sporting career and how have you been able to overcome them?

Some people don’t know this, but fencing is an expensive sport. Some of the challenges I have faced as an individual and with the team Soweto Fencing Club, is equipment and traveling money to go to competitions you have qualified for. I wouldn’t say we have overcome those challenges, but we have gotten used to them like they are not going anywhere, we just have to adjust here and there but the team is still suffering in terms of equipment and traveling money.

What are some of your career highlights to date?

My career highlights would be attending my first competition out of the country and it was the African Youth Games 2014 in Botswana and my other highlight is the qualifiers.

Which sportswomen do you admire and why?

I admire every sportswoman out there because it takes a lot for every woman to be where they are, even if you are losing or winning, you are still doing something than giving up.

What’s your advice to young girls who want to pursue a career in fencing and how important is it for them to take care of themselves mentally, physically and emotionally?

Another thing I love with fencing, it is not only a physical sport but also mental, because during a bout you think about your next move while fencing, you can’t just stand there and think, then fence, no ways. You have to do it at the same. To any young girl who wants to join fencing they can definitely try it and I promise they will enjoy it because it’s an individual sport.

What’s your greatest career ambition?

My greatest career ambition is to open my own fencing club for girls, be a coach and coach girls because we need more girls in fencing.