Category: Fencing

EFC Geneve

The standard was very high with most of the entries coming from France, Italy and Switzerland.

Introduction

Quite possibly a one-off EFC cadet event that came in very early on in the season. I don’t think there has been another since, but I could be wrong.

A smaller (just 85 entries in the mens epee), very well organised competition with two rounds of poules – which is extremely unusual for EFC events.

The standard was very high with most of the entries coming from France, Italy and Switzerland.

Years attended – 2018

Venue

École de Commerce et de Culture Générale Aimée-Stitelmann

A nice modern sports hall attached to the business school just a short bus ride away from the city centre. The later stages of the competion were held in an adjacent building that I think was a lecture theatre.

Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall
Main Hall

Event Videos

Filippo Armaleo ITA v. Sven Vineis SUI (Final – 2018)

Hotels, Shops & Places To Eat

We stayed at the Ramada Encore Geneva and ate at the Pizzeria Ristorante Molino which was right next to the hotel. The supermarket, which stocked a wide range of water, was located in the shopping centre right behind the hotel – so everything was very convenient. We were there for less than 24 hours, so didn’t get a chance to explore any further.

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.