Category: Featured

EFC Belgrade – Belgrade Open

In 2021 the Belgrade Fair hosted the event – a large complex of event halls next to the Sava river on the outskirts of the city.

Introduction

This was the second International event we went to after the Covid restrictions were eased for travelling. At that time in Belgrade there were still many measures in place and the competition was quite obviously affected. However, despite this, it was still a great weekend and is definitely one I would recommend.

In 2021 the Belgrade Fair hosted the event – a large complex of event halls next to the Sava river on the outskirts of the city. It was quite spectactular with all the glass, as you can see in the pictures below.

It’s worth noting though that venues can change for events in Belgrade.

Years attended – 2021

Venue

Belgrade Fair

A stunning hall next to the river. Not really walkable if you’re staying in the city centre, so a taxi is needed to get there. Plenty of space for all the pistes and for spectating. The only negative really was that it was quite hard to get a taxi back to the hotel at the end of the day, but that may have been down to covid and there not being many taxi drivers working.

Belgrade Fair – Lower main hall
Belgrade Fair – Upper main hall

Event Videos

Liam Kew GBR v. Maksym Perchuk UKR (L16 team competition – 2021)
Igor Chernousov RUS v. Alec Brooke GBR (Semi-final team comp – 2021)

Hotels

The Courtyard Marriott Belgrade City Center was where we stayed and it’s an excellent hotel which I would highly recommend. It is very well situated in central Belgrade with a plenty of restaurants and shops nearby and is only a short taxi ride to the venue which was easily arranged for us by the hotel reception.

Hotel Srbija often comes up as being the recommended place to stay for competitions in Belgrade – I’d suggest far better options exist and staying there wouldn’t be desirable. Some of the GBR squad did and they really regretted it.

Shops & Places To Eat

If you are staying central then there are many small stores and mini-marts to pick up any needed provisions all within a short walk of most hotels. One thing you may need is a Serbian prepaid mobile SIM card (we used A1). These are available from any of the small kiosks dotted around the city.

For places to eat, you are really spoilt for choice. There are many great restaurants around the Republic Square and the surrounding area, We ate at Restaurant Duomo, Restoran Mihailo and Monument Restaurant on this particular trip and I’d happily recommend all three.

I’d also like to mention Red Bread – this is one of the top places I’ve eaten in anywhere in the world. If you have some free time in the morning, then do pay them a visit for some breakfast. It’s sensational.

Red Bread

Monument Restaurant
Restoran Mihailo

EFC Espoo – Espoo Fencing Challenge

One of the smaller competitions but also one of the best.

Introduction

One of the smaller competitions but also one of the best. Not only is this in a great location – it snowed for both of our visits and was really picturesque looking out over the lake – but it’s also really well organised and a very friendly event to attend.

Although it can attract fewer entries than many of the other events, it makes up for that with quality – expect strong entries from all the Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states as well as the potential for travelling squads from USA and Japan.

Years attended – 2017 & 2019

Venue

UniSport Otaniemi

A fantatsic sports hall with loads of space and all the facilites you could need – definitely one of the best venues on the cadet circuit.

Main Entrance
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Weapons Control
Side Hall
Main Hall

Event Videos

Julian Fuchs AUT v. Seiya Asami JPN (L16 fight – 2019)
Ting Hin Ng HKG v. Markus Salm EST (L8 fight – 2019)
Julian Fuchs AUT v. Seiya Asami JPN (L16 fight – 2019) – Part 2
Luke Mason GBR v. Andrea Alno ITA (L16 fight – 2017)
Ethan Kew GBR v. Jan De Nobel ESP (Team Competition – 2019)

Hotels

Essentially there is only one place to stay for this competition, and that is the Radisson Blu which is next door to the venue. I’d say the vast majority of fencers choose to stay there. The even organisers also lay on a transfer bus to and from the airport which makes the whole process very slick.

It’s really nice hotel but when a bus load of fencers arrive to check-in, it can be chaotic. The bar and restaurant area also seemed to struggle to deal with the increase in guest numbers.

Shops & Places To Eat

Although the Radisson Blu has a restaurant, the food is quite high end (ie, small portions) and it did take a long time to be served, so I’d suggest taking a walk towards Aalto University and the checking small shopping centre there – we had pizza in Who The xxxx is Alice which is definitely recommended. Walking a little bit further (maybe 20 minutes or so from the hotel), we had a great dinner at Ravintola Fat Lizard which again, was really nice – but if you plan on visiting there, make a reservation as it’s very popular.

Food at the Radisson Blu

EFC Bratislava – Coupe du Danube

The colossus of all the EFC cadet events – expect all the top fencers from around the world to be attending this competion. Generally considered to be the toughest event on the circuit.

Introduction

The colossus of all the EFC cadet events – expect all the top fencers from around the world to be attending this competion. Generally considered to be the toughest event on the circuit.

Originally based in the Hala Elan, after Covid it moved to the film studios just around the corner. Both venues are just not quite big enough for the number of entries, but somehow it works itself out.

If you’re serious about fencing at cadet level, then you have to experience Bratislava at least once, in my opinion.

Years attended – 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2022

Venue

Športová hala Elán

A sunken indoor athletics space with a few rows of banked seating around the perimeter. It’s super cramped with often nowhere to sit and finding a spot to warm-up can be a real challenge. That being said, I always enjoyed the competitions here and it’s better than the newer venue in the film studio. A special mention also to the on-site cafe owner who sold the best chicken in Bratislava – I wouldn’t argue with that!

Main Entrance
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall

A4 Studio

The competition moved here in 2022 after the break for Covid. It just wasn’t a big enough for the competition + there were a lot of teething issues leading a long wait for registration to open. Hopefully they’ll have got that resolved now.

Outside
Main Hall

Event Videos

Filippo Severini ITA v. Kirill Gurov RUS (L64 fight – 2019)
Fabrizio Di Marco ITA v. Theodoros Avramidis GRE (L64 fight – 2019)
Yonatan Cohen ISR v. Rostislav Rustamov RUS (L32 fight – 2020)
Jan Socha POL v. Akseli Heinamaa FIN (L64 fight – 2019)
Quentin Srecki FRA v. Zsombor Keszthelyi HUN (Team comp – 2019)
Artem Sarkisian RUS v. Ethan Kushnerik USA (L8 fight – 2020)
Ian Hauri SUI v. Peter Kambeseles GRE (Team competition – 2019)

Hotels

There are many hotels to choose from within a short walk to the venue(s). My personal favourite was the Lindner Hotel. A modern hotel on top of a large shopping centre, conveniently situated with just a 15 minute walk to the venue. As an added bonus it also has a fantastic sky bar with great views out over Bratislava.

We also had great stays in the DoubleTree Hilton (this gets booked up very early) and for our last stay, the Mercure (Clarion) served our needs very well although it was quite a long walk to the venue from there.

Shops & Places To Eat

There are two places that I would strongly recommend – firstly, Brick Beer & Restaurant is an absolute must. The quality of the food and drink served there is off the charts. Secondly, if you’re in the old town then drop in to Urban Bistro for some great coffee and amazing slow cooked beef. A popular place to eat in Bratislava is Slovak Pub – I’d definitely give it some consideration if you’re interested in traditional cuisine.

As for shops, there is a big BILLA supermarket near the venues and plenty of other small shops near all the hotels.

Dessert at Reštaurácia Toscana

EFC Copenhagen

What can I say about this event – it’s all round one of the best competitions you could wish to attend.

Introduction

What can I say about this event – it’s all round one of the best competitions you could wish to attend. It literally ticks all the boxes with a fantastic modern venue, amazing hospitality, great atmosphere, excellent facilities, it runs like clockwork and generally has an entry standard suitable for cadets at most competitive levels. They have also been very accomodating to sort our opportunities to fence in the team competition with fencers from other nations if you don’t have your own team. Combine all that with Christmas in Copenhagen, and this is a real winning combination.

Years attended – 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2021

Venue

Gentofte Sportspark

It’s a large modern sports hall and it is hands down one of the best spaces for a fencing competion you could with to fence in.

Main Entrance
Main Hall
Main Hall
Second Hall
Second Hall
Main Hall stands

Event Videos

Marco Balzano ITA v. Alban Diane FRA (L64 fight – 2016)
Leonardas Kalininas LTU v. Alex Oroian ROU (L16 fight – 2016)
Mattia Magni ITA v. Igor Borisov RUS (L32 fight – 2016)
Ben Andrews GBR v. Francesco Leone ITA (L32 fight – 2016)
Hugo Brandberg SWE v. Liam Kew GBR (Team Competition – 2021)

Hotels

There are essentially two options most fencers have chosen over the years – Gentofte Hotel is the closest to the venue and sometimes a shuttle bus is available. The rooms though are quite small and it can be very expensive. The alternative is the Scandic Eremitage in Lyngby. This is a more affordable hotel but does require a train journey to the venue. One thing to note about staying in Lyngby is that are more restaurant choices than there are in Gentofte.

Shops & Places To Eat

If your are staying at the Gentofte Hotel then your eating options are a little limited. The hotel restaurant is a fine dining experience. A short walk is SuperBrugsen and Netto for any needed shopping, and Big Bens pizza. Heading in the other direction is Armando’s, another pizza place. All these places get booked up as there are not so many choices. For our last visit in 2021 a new takeaway pizza place had opened right next to the hotel – Costa Smeralda Pizzeria.

In Lyngby there is a lot more places to choose from – we ate in Green Mango and the amazing Halifax burger shack.

Dinner at the Gentofte Hotel

EFC Grenoble – Challenge Mondial

A great competition with a good number of entries and high standard of fencing – just prepare for any eventuality and a small amount of chaos.

Introduction

If you were to pick an outlier of all the competitions on the cadet circuit, this is probably it. Thankfully things have become a little more simple in the past couple of years, but you only have to go back to 2016 when there were 2 rounds of poules, 2 cuts and a repechage from the L32 – something that no other event was doing. However, all things considered, it’s always been a great competition with a good number of entries and high standard of fencing – just prepare for any eventuality and a small amount of chaos.

Years attended – 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2021

Venue

Halle Clémenceau

It looks terrible from the outside (take a look on Google maps street view), but inside it has a lot of character. It can feel a bit busy and cramped in the pistes area, but there is plenty of seating and it does have a great atmosphere. The food served in the cafe is definitely a major positive too., There is though one big negative – the toilets are horrendous and they have a septic tank at one end of the venue which can be a bit aromatic.

Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall – Competition Day

Event Videos

Theo Brochard SUI v. Semen Zhukov RUS (Semi Final – 2019)
Damiano Di Veroli ITA v. Igor Borisov RUS (L64 fight – 2017)
Theo Brochard SUI v. Mikhail Kazmin RUS (Final – 2019)
Jules Mangin FRA v. Simone Mencarelli ITA (L32 fight – 2017)
Quentin Podique FRA v. Ethan Kew GBR (Team competition – 2018)

Hotels

By far and away the most popular place for fencers to stay is ApartHotel Citadines. It’s a short walk through the park to the venue, has some shops and restarants pretty much opposite and has always been a good price.

Another popular choice is the Mercure, which is also just a short walk to venue. As Grenoble is a popular destination for ski holidays, there are quite a lot of available hotels options as well as Airbnbs – we stayed in one along Bd Maréchal Joffre which worked out really well.

Shops & Places To Eat

Your are spoilt for choice really – the restaurant in Pathé Grenoble was a good choice for larger groups. Le Cintra Pub and Le Sporting on Pl. Grenette were good for walk-ins as a lot of places needed a reservation, especially at the weekend. La Palestria on Pl. Grenette is a good destination if you’re after a pizza. As for shops, there are loads so that’s not a problem, although it is worth noting that many do close on Sundays.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that if there is overlap with the Christmas Markets, then that’s really woth checking out the stalls at Place Victor Hugo.

EFC Budapest – Budapest Cup

The first EFC cadet event that we ever went to and in my opinion, this is by far and away the best of them all.

Introduction

The first EFC cadet event that we ever went to and in my opinion, this is by far and away the best of them all.

Commonly attracting around 300 entries in each category and with participants travelling from all over the world, this is undoubtably a competition that attracts a very high standard of fencer. Combine this with an excellent level of organisation, a great venue (the Gerevich Aladár National Sports Hall – see below), a slick weapons control and registration process, good on-site facilities and being easily accessible from Budapest International Airport (a quick 25 minute transfer) this event has so many positives.

Years attended – 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2021

Venue

Gerevich Aladár National Sports Hall

This historic sports facilty used to host the competition before it moved in 2021 to it’s current home at the BOK Sports and Conference Centre. Full of character and a real labyrinth of a building – in 2016 space was so tight some of the DE’s took place in what appeared to be a storage room deep in the bowels of the building! This was easily one of my personal favourite venues to visit on the cadet circuit.

Main Entrance
Main Entrance
Central Hall – Finals Piste
Central Hall – Finals Piste
Lower Side Hall
Upper Side Hall
Upper Side Hall
Upper Side Hall
Upper Side Hall 2

BOK Sports and Conference Centre

Situated right next to the Puskás Aréna and only a couple of minutes walk from the Danubius Hotel and just a 10 minute walk from the Gerevich Aladár National Sports Hall, this arena complex has been used since 2021 as the new venue for the competition. It’s a purpose built event space, and unfortunately in my opinion, it lacks the character and charm of the previous venue.

Outside
Entrance
Side Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall

Event Videos

Bence Csere HUN v. Pietro Varengo ITA (L8 fight – 2016)
Artem Sarkisian RUS v. Ryan Lee USA (L8 fight – 2019)
Agoston Ko HUN v. Marton Mezinger ROU (L16 fight – 2021)
Filippos Gkogkos GRE v. Francesco Leone ITA (L8 fight – 2016)
Francesco Ferrauti ITA v. Miles Weiss USA (L32 team fight – 2019)
Alec Brooke GBR v. Maksym Mykytenko UKR (Final – 2021)

Hotels

The Danubius Hotel Arena was normally the recommended accommodation by the organisers (and quite possibly still is), and it is literally next door to the venue making it very convenient. It was relatively cheap to stay there, however, it is a very dated hotel and could be described as at best, functional. Personally I would always choose to stay at the Royal Park Boutique Hotel, which is around a 15 to 20 minute walk to the venue. We also stayed at the Lion’s Garden Hotel which is also worth considering especially as it has a restaurant on site.

Shops & Places To Eat

A lot of places had unfortunately closed down when we last attended this event in 2021, so best to check everything in advance. The supermarket in the Récsei Center is a 15 minute walk from the venue and the Danubius Hotel. If you’re staying in the Royal Park Boutique there was a great Spar supermarket almost directly opposite.

There are not so many restaurants in this area but we did have some great meals at Asian Street Food on Thököly Way. Em oi pho on Rottenbiller St was also really nice and is a must visit if you like Vietnamese food. We also tried the restuarants in the Danubius and Lion’s Garden, both served tradditional Hungarian dishes and were generally OK.