From Gilles Martinage - An equipment repair course in Johannesburg, South Africa took place from September 23 – 27. The group comprised eight students: 2 each from Kenya, Angola, Togo, and one each from Mauritius and South Africa.
The group was particularly attentive and eager to learn. They were very active in the many practical exercises and provided very satisfactory and promising results.
After explanations about how weapons work and particularities of their electrical circuitry, we discussed different possible failures, how to locate problems and how to fix them.
Each trainee was able to completely dismantle a foil and an epee, and carry out the reassembly including gluing and installing new wires.
The last course was devoted to raising awareness of competition weapons control organisation and piste installation verification. In particular, the students were shown how to carry out this verification using a basic tester and DIY tools. This part of the training was particularly appreciated by the two Angolan students in view of the organisation of the next African Junior and Cadet Championships.
The working environment of the Academy fencing school made it possible to carry out this internship in the best conditions.