Sometimes the biggest victories in sport don’t appear on the scoreboard. 
Alhamdulillah, last weekend Adam, Ameena and Azmi had the opportunity to compete at the Allez Johor International. We really enjoyed our time there, but more importantly, it was another valuable experience for all three of them in competitive fencing.
The poules were challenging, especially for Adam competing in the U17 category. But that is part of the journey. At this stage, we keep reminding ourselves: one touch at a time, one bout at a time, one tournament at a time.
What I found most interesting this time was seeing how differently each child was being challenged — not just physically or technically, but mentally and emotionally. For Adam, it was about perseverance. For Azmi, it was about trusting himself. And for Ameena, it was about learning to manage her emotions.
For Adam, this tournament was a real test of perseverance. He faced some very strong fencers from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore — opponents who looked like they had many years of training and competition experience behind them, compared to Adam who has only been fencing for about a year.
Some bouts had a big gap in points, but what made us proud was that he never mentally gave up. He stayed cool, kept fencing and continued looking for that next touch. One point at a time.
Instead of being overwhelmed by how good his opponents were, he watched them, studied their movements and tried to figure out what he could do differently. There was even one particularly fast and agile fencer whom we nicknamed “Lancelot” 
because of how quickly he moved — and Adam still managed to find some openings and score a few touches against him.
He may not have won those difficult bouts, but he walked away having experienced a much higher level of fencing firsthand. And sometimes, you can learn more from fencing someone far more experienced than you than from an easy win.
For Azmi, this was only his second external tournament, and he started out very nervous. He has his own style of fencing, but he was worried about what other people might think of the way he plays.
We kept telling him, “Relax. Play your game. Don’t worry about what other people think.”
For the first few bouts, we could see that he was still trying to adjust himself to his opponents instead of trusting his own game.
Then, in his fourth bout, something changed.
He finally started fencing his way.
And Alhamdulillah, he won that bout.
The win was nice, of course. But for me, the bigger achievement was watching him learn to trust himself under pressure. Sometimes children already know what they can do — they just need the courage to stop looking around for approval and start believing in what they have practised.
With Ameena, we saw a different kind of growth.
This time she looked much more relaxed when facing stronger opponents. Previously, losing could be quite emotional for her. But last weekend, we could see that she had become more emotionally mature. She could lose a bout, accept it, reset herself and continue fencing — and most importantly, she looked like she was actually enjoying herself more, even when the result didn’t go her way.
That made me realise again why competitive sports can be such a valuable experience for children.
Fencing doesn’t only train the body. It trains the mind and emotions too.
You learn to make decisions in seconds.
You learn to stay calm when you’re under pressure.
You learn that one mistake doesn’t mean the bout is over.
You learn to adapt when something isn’t working.
You learn to face someone who may be better than you without giving up before you even start.
You learn to observe, study and adjust your strategy as you go.
And perhaps one of the hardest lessons — you learn how to lose, reset, and come back again.
These are skills that go far beyond the fencing piste.
As parents, of course we are happy when our children win. But tournaments like this remind me that medals and results are only one part of the journey.
Sometimes the progress worth celebrating is quieter — Adam refusing to give up when the score is against him, Azmi finding the courage to trust his own game, and Ameena learning to manage her emotions and enjoy the challenge.
Those are victories too.
Thank you so much to all the coaches Spartan Fencing Center who have been guiding, encouraging and supporting Adam, Ameena and Azmi throughout their fencing journey. We truly appreciate the time, patience and effort you put into helping them grow — not just as fencers, but in confidence, discipline and character.
And a special thank you to my husband Afiq Osman for being there through the whole adventure — and to little Aliyya, our tiny travelling supporter, for following Abang Adam, Kakak Meena and Abang Azmi all the way there. 
Alhamdulillah for another experience, another lesson and another step forward.
One touch at a time.
