Mr. Alisher Usmanov
President
International Fencing Federation
Dear Mr. Usmanov,
on behalf of the European Fencing Confederation and myself, as someone who has devoted almost 40 years of my life to fencing, I would like to congratulate you on World Fencing Day!
This year, it is being held under the slogan "We are Fencing," which reflects the very essence and ideology of our sport: unity, mutual understanding and respect for each other among all the members of the global fencing family, from coaches and athletes to fans from every corner of the world.
Increasing attractiveness of fencing was possible due to your personal contribution, efforts, and tremendous work done by the International Fencing Federation under your leadership.
Your consistency and constant striving for raising the status of our sport made it possible to have full representation of fencing disciplines at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. It happened in Tokyo for the first time, giving the athletes an opportunity to fulfil their Olympic dream in individual and team events.
On the one hand, the Games have revealed the beauty of classical fencing, and on the other hand, they have revealed new talents to the world. I strongly believe that due to the visual appeal and skill level of the athletes we saw in Tokyo, fencing has acquired new followers and motivated the younger generation to choose foil, epee, or sabre as their sport of choice.
The inclusion of our sport in the program of the III European Games in Poland shows the progress of fencing.
Staging of World Fencing Day this year will resonate perfectly with the renewed Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together" which was recently approved by the IOC. Unity today is a key for development and progress not only in sport but also in the life of humanity. After all, only by our joint efforts we will be able to overcome the challenges of time and ensure a bright future for fencing.
Happy celebration!
Stanislav Pozdnyakov
