En garde! A taste of the Olympics comes to Bury

Fencing is heading to Bury. Credit: The Sport Community

Hundreds of young athletes from all over the world will cross swords in Bury this weekend as the town stages an elite international fencing event.

The tournament is the brainchild of two-time Hungarian Olympian Robert Kiss and his wife Natalia who settled in the area 15 years ago.The couple have two sons who fence for Great Britain.

Held at Phillips High School in Whitefield, the Manchester Cadet European Fencing Circuit Event will showcase the talents of some of the best under 17 competitors from throughout Europe and the USA.

Plans are in place to expand the tournament next year and the organisers are looking for local businesses to get involved via a number of sponsorship opportunities.

Natalia said: “We want to create a sporting legacy in this area. Fencing is a wonderful sport and this tournament is all about opening people’s eyes to how accessible and great for fitness it is.

"We’re hoping people from Bury and further afield come down to see a fantastic spectacle and get inspired to take part."

Fencing is one of the longest-running sports in the Olympics and has featured at every Games since the first of the modern era, in Athens in 1896.