Raz Goren, from the urban fencing club in Haifa, is the Israeli youth champion for the third time in a row

Another achievement for the Haifa fencer Raz Goren, who was crowned yesterday (Saturday, 11/01/2020) for the third time in a row, as Israeli champion • Toher Rotem-Gal-Oz, a fencer from the same club, finished the competition in 9th place • Yoav Offenberg, the head coach at the club : "The urban fencing club is in the process of growing and strengthening"

Yesterday (11/01/20), the Israeli youth championship was held, in the Olympic javelin branch, and at its conclusion, Raz Goren from the municipal fencing club (belonging to the Haifa municipality), won the title of Israeli champion for the third time in a row. Raz Goren, who recently also won the State Cup competition for youth ages and third place in the national competition for mature ages, returned from the World Youth Cup competition in Italy, where he finished in 22nd place out of 180 fencers from all over the world. The competition in Italy took place only a few days before the Israeli championship.

During the competition in Italy, he defeated 5 opponents in the preliminary house compared to only one loss. Following the success in the preliminary house stage, he skipped the first elimination stage, then, in the elimination battle to enter the first 64 in the competition, he defeated Rez Saif of Ukraine with a score of 15-6. Entering the round of 32, Raz defeated Saif from Singapore with a score of 15-2 and finally entering the first 16, Raz lost on the tip of Tosh 15-14 to a Russian fencer. 

Israel Youth Fencing Championship

During the Israeli Championship, Raz lost only one fight in the preliminary round and then, he beat Niran Tsurkman Hatuel, from the Acre Fencing Club with a score of 15-7, Eitan Rohkind, from the Hapoel Kfar Saba Fencing Club with a score of 15-7 and then, also, over Roy Gross from the Hapoel Kfar Saba fencing club with the same result 15-7. In the semi-finals, Raz again met Niran Tzorkman from Acre and again defeated him with the same result. Finally, in the final fight, Raz defeated Adam Katz from the Maccabi Petach Tikva Fencing Club.

Toher Rotem-Gal-Oz finished the Israel Fencing Championship in 9th place

Another participant in the Israel Championship on behalf of the Haifa club is Toher Rotem-Gal-Oz, who finished the competition in 9th place with 3 victories in the early stage and a loss in a close battle until the end in the elimination battle.
Yoav Offenberg, the head coach at the club, said that he is proud and happy about Raz's achievement in the last competition and his progress in recent years in general. Yoav also says that the urban fencing club is in the process of growing and strengthening, while accepting new fencers of all ages, which allows the club and the coaching staff to invest in and develop the future generation, at the same time as working with Raz and the rest of the competitive fencing group, all with the support of the Haifa Municipality and the Municipal Sports Authority.
Raz's next international challenge will be this weekend at the Youth World Cup competition, in Aix-en-Provence in France. We will continue to follow the progress of the talented Haifa fencer in particular and the urban fencing club in general.