Saif Nordin is a fencer who is focused on sporting success. This has seen him represent Malaysia and Selangor at various tournaments including SUKMA, World Cadet Championships, World Junior Championships, Asia Junior & Cadet Championship, Asia Cadet Cup, Commonwealth Fencing Championships, FIE Open Satellite, and various regional tournaments.
In 2024, Saif joined the SportExcel “Dedicated Athlete Program”, and at the young age of 14, Saif signed an equipment sponsorship deal with leading fencing equipment supplier, Starmax Fencing.
A modelling representation with KICG Models is part of his off-field success strategy adding an extra dimension as an influencer. Saif has a partial sports scholarship with Sunway International School where he maintains strong academic results.
Saif’s high-performance training is conducted out of Touché Fencing Club in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, by Head Coach Andrew Mok who is accredited by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), and mentored by Coach Mok Chek Wlong, who is a former national fencer. Moving forward, Saif’s aspiration of raising the Malaysian flag in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games requires a shared commitment to be realised.
Saif Nordin – Fashion Shoot credit mention @kicgmodels and Photographer @kimmmmunnn
HOMME: As a young fencer who has represented Malaysia at various levels on the international stage, how do you deal with the pressure?
Training, tournaments and more training. My preparation routine is important and that starts days before the tournament. But on game day, in the last few hours it’s about my warm up routine, my playlist and making sure I have eaten properly that morning is key.
Every tournament is an opportunity to learn and to improve. Managing the mental and emotional side of the game has become more important in recent years. Sometimes I like to smile just before starting the match and then I put on my game face, the mask drops down and that’s the last thing my opponent sees. It sounds dramatic but fencing is a dramatic sport.
HOMME: Fencing is a sport that requires immense mental focus. What strategies do you use to stay mentally sharp during high-stakes tournaments?
Yes, it is a sport that requires the fencer to have amazing mental focus as you only have five to 10 seconds between every point to decide what you are going to do next, and to think what just happened. Controlling your emotions is also a key aspect of mental focus when it comes to fencing – you must have a clear mind when thinking of strategies. When I’m in high stake situations, I tend to use a technique called box breathing to calm myself down and to clear my mind. Besides that, I also make sure that I listen to my coach’s advice as a way to regain understanding of the game.
HOMME: Who are your fencing idols, and how have they influenced your playing style and approach to the game?
My fencing idols are Cheong Ka Long from Hong Kong and Daniele Garozzo from Italy. They have really influenced my fencing because they changed the way that all fencing is played (in foil that is), by making the distance closer and the sword play more intense. At the same time, they have a patient fencing style, which is really interesting for me and it fits in well with my fencing style. Watching them fence makes me think of all different ways to approach different opponents.
HOMME: What are your long-term goals in fencing? How do you plan to achieve them while balancing the demands of school, training and tournaments?
I’m taking it one match at a time, one tournament at a time, and one season at a time for that matter. When it comes to long-term goals, the ultimate is to represent Malaysia at the Olympics; before that I need to make my mark at the SEA Games and Asian Games. There is a lot of work to do to get there and I believe that with the help of my coaches, teammates, sponsors and associations, it’s possible. It starts with the dream and then the planning, followed by hours of hard work. The glamour of the medals is what people see, but they don’t see the hard work.
A match can be over in under three minutes. That match can mean the difference in the whole context of a tournament or a season. Everything is about focusing at the right time and taking it easy when you can.
I train quite a bit; travel is fun but it takes up plenty of time. So, getting my homework done, while it is not very glamorous, is a priority. My sports scholarship at Sunway International School means I have to maintain a certain grade point average. I am competitive in everything I do, so I like doing my best in the classroom as well. We see in fencing so many top fencers who attend top universities and complete degrees in the medical or engineering fields. If they can do it then so can I, a boy from Malaysia.
Saif Nordin Signing Sponsorship deal with Starmax Fencing.
HOMME: How do you see the future of fencing in Malaysia, and what role do you hope to play in inspiring the next generation of Malaysian fencers?
Firstly, I see myself as part of the next generation of fencers. I would say that there is a group of young fencers coming up looking to make their mark on the international scene. It’s not easy, we are fighting the best in the world and they are coming from countries with a deep fencing history and much more fencers. Having said that, we go to their countries and compete in their tournaments and train with their best. This is why we need more support from the corporate sector so that we can raise our flag on the international stage.
At Touché Fencing Club where I train, we have a great bunch of young fencers both boys and girls. I make sure to always fence with them and share with them a few ideas. I remember when I was still learning and some of the older fencers took the time to show me a few tricks. When it’s a team effort it’s much more fun. It’s not that I’m trying to inspire, I just want to set a good example and put in the hard work because my coaches are doing their best to get me to the next level.
Fun Questions:
HOMME: If you could go sparring with any three people, living or deceased, who would they be and why?
I only want to fence living people, jokes aside, but they might be retired though.
Still active – Iimura Kazuki. I really want to fence him because he was part of the 2024 Paris Olympics Championship team for Japan and his fencing is really clean and fun to watch.
Still active – Cheong Ka Long. I might have the chance to fence him in the upcoming fencing Grand Prix in Shanghai, China. I want to fence him because he is a two-time Olympic Champion – twice in a row, mind you.
Retired – Lei Sheng from China. I really want to fence Lei Sheng because he was a powerhouse back in the day and was a very dominant fencer who also won an Olympic gold medal.
HOMME: Funniest moment on the fencing piste?
My funniest moment was when I was fencing and I slipped on the carpet beside the piste and left a huge rip in the carpet. When I fell, I recreated the Jordan logo but with a fencing twist to it. I fell face first and it was hilarious. 🙂 Luckily, I was fencing a good friend and he help me get up.
HOMME: What is your best result on the fencing piste?
We are only as good as our last result, and as a team, we are always striving and working hard to do better for the next competition. There might be times when we under-perform but it is because of those times we grow and learn.
HOMME: If you weren’t fencing, what sport would you pursue?
I would probably be focused on Rugby or Taekwondo; these are sports that I really enjoy. Athletics is also fun, especially field events like javelin, discus and shot putt. I just don’t have enough hours in the day to do all of them, so I focus on fencing. On the lighter side, I would probably spend more time in the kitchen because I love cooking and eating good food for that matter. I still drag my sisters to join me for cooking classes when we get the time.
HOMME: Go-to pre-tournament meal or snack to get you in the zone?
Food and nutrition are a huge part of my preparation. Because there are tournaments all over the world, finding the right food beforehand is a mixture of Google research and asking friends from that country where I can get my pasta or noodle soup.
HOMME: How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
I’m sure Coach Andrew would say a bunch of nice things to the media but because I have to travel with him quite a bit, he has to put up with quite a lot of my funny habits. Before the tournament, it’s all about food and after the tournament or on rest days it’s all about food (again) and visiting interesting places which, so far, has included a volcano, street art in a desert city, a few palaces (one with my name on it), movie sets, sky scrapers with interesting architecture, science centres, museums, national mosques and plenty of night markets because of the interesting street food.
Saif Nordin – Fashion Shoot credit mention @kicgmodels and Photographer @kimmmmunnn
HOMME: And that most Malaysian of questions : favourite food?
SN: I’m definitely a food lover, I enjoy all kinds of food and don’t mind trying out new things. When it comes to food I have a Top 5, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Arabic and Indian food but the winner will always be hotpot. Nothing like a nicely cooked slice of Wagyu.
HOMME: Nominate your favourite Malaysian icon?
SN: I would definitely go with Jeffrey Ong, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with him and discuss what it takes to get where I want to go. He doesn’t sugar coat it and he keeps it simple which is important to me. I remember the advice he gave me “You have to love what you do and enjoy the process”
HOMME: What’s the funniest or most unexpected thing that’s ever happened to you during a match?
SN: One of the most unexpected moments came during the last World Championships in Wuxi, China. I was fencing in the knockout stage against the top ranked fencer from Austria. All of a sudden my blade was damaged and the weapons control stickers on my replacement blades had somehow dropped off. (Note to self, always check these details). So I was without a valid weapon. All of a sudden one of the other Malaysian coaches who saw what was going on arrived and helped save the day. Unexpected because of the series of unfortunate events and great to know that I my teammates and the other coaches have my back too, especially in those high pressure situations when it so easy just to think about yourself. Hopefully I can return the favour one day.
HOMME: If your fencing sword could talk, what do you think it would say about you?
SN: Well the first thing it’s going to say to me is “Don’t break me” foil is the lightest of all the modern weapons but we fence at 100 miles an hour so they do break every once in a while. There is an art and a fair bit of science that goes into taking care of these blades which I’m now learning. It’s another dimension which adds to the sport.
Saif Nordin’s Sponsorship deal with Starmax Fencing.
HOMME: What’s your go-way-to celebrate after a big win—ice cream, a nap, or something totally wild?
SN: That’s easy, take me to an all-you-can-eat hotpot or bring a big wad of cash because I’m going to be hungry. After a big tournament, especially if you have gone the distance all the way to the final, you are both hungry and dehydrated so “soupy food” is the solution.
Ice cream, usually cookies and cream, is reserved for Saturday after training because on that day we start at 10am and finish after 7pm and I just want some comfort food before getting a proper meal later, after a good shower of course.
HOMME: Tell us your motto?
SN: That’s a good question, I have always had to fight hard, we fight to be “the champion” but do we fight like a champion, do we take seriously the fact that we are representing our club, state or country. So my motto is “Always the champion in every battle” and as you know a real motto should sound good in Latin just in case we bump into a time traveling legionnaire or a Latin Professor, in Latin it is “semper vindex in omni bello”. In reality, we can’t always win but we can always fight like a champion.
Saif Nordin – En garde, returning to the mark after scoring a point
