Detail aktuality

Budapest – In a historic election, Pascal Tesch has been elected as the new President of the European Fencing Confederation (EFC), succeeding Maestro Giorgio Scarso, who led the organization since October 2022. The election took place during the EFC Ordinary and Elective Congress held in Budapest, Hungary.

The first round did not bring the absolute majority of 22 votes to any of the three candidates. Ana Valero-Collantes from Sweden dropped out with 11 votes while Tesch (14) and Florea (18) went on.

In the second round Tesch beat Romanian candidate Marius Florea in a close race 22-20 votes. 

Pascal Tesch, from Luxembourg, is no stranger to the fencing world. His career in the sport began at age eight and culminated in his participation in the 1991 European Championship in Vienna. He has since dedicated himself to the administration and development of fencing, playing pivotal roles in the EFC SEMI commission and working as a senior consultant to the Confederation. Tesch's election brings a fresh vision and ambition to the presidency as he embarks on leading the EFC into a new era.

In his acceptance speech, Tesch expressed his gratitude and commitment: "Colleagues and friends of the European Fencing Confederation, I am honored to take on this role and to work with the new Executive Committee for the future of our beloved sport. My colleagues and I are highly motivated and eager to start working for fencing and with fencers. You will see us soon at competitions because fencing is for fencers. Our commitment will be unwavering, with the aim of supporting and growing our sport at all levels, always with a spirit of inclusion, passion, and dedication.” Tesch also thanked his competitors for challenging him and offered to unite the efforts for the profit of Fencing. He finished by thanking Giorgio Scarso for his guidance and great initiatives the former president started and which shall be continued, jokingly adding "I may be taller than President Scarso but I am well aware of the size of the shoes I am stepping into".

 

Giorgio Scarso Reflects on His Tenure

Former President Giorgio Scarso, reflecting on the election, noted the significance of Tesch's victory: "It was a tightly contested election, but carried out with respect and fairness. Pascal Tesch’s victory ensures that European fencing is well-positioned for the challenges of the next four years. Reorganizing and setting the foundations for the future will not be easy, but with enthusiasm and goodwill, much can be achieved. I am confident Pascal and his team will lead the EFC toward new successes." Scarso’s tenure was marked by the reinforcement of European fencing structures, and his legacy will provide a strong foundation for the new leadership.

A Dynamic Executive Committee

The election also saw the selection of new members to the EFC Executive Committee (COMEX). Czech representative Vilem Madr received the most votes for the committee with 26, followed closely by Vincenzo De Bartolomeo, Vice President of the Italian Fencing Federation, who earned 23 votes. Other newly elected members include Zsolt Csampa (Hungary), Nuala McGarrity (Ireland), Nikolay Mateev (Iceland), Hilary Philbin (Great Britain), Jacek Slupski (Poland), Etienne Van Cann (Netherlands), and Martina Zmaic (Croatia).

At the moment the functions are as follows :

Vice-President : Etienne Van Cann 

Secretary General : Jacek Slupski

Treasurer : Nuala McGarrity

Vilem Madr will head the referee commission.

Tesch who had announced in his program to proceed analytically and evidence based has started talks with the other members of the executive committee in order to determine the final attribution of the roles.

The new team will focus on fostering the growth of fencing across the continent, including efforts to promote historical fencing and establish new partnerships and programs aimed at advancing the sport's presence at all levels.