NewVIc student aims for Commonwealth Fencing Championships in New Zealand despite disadvantage
NewVIc first year Level 3 Sport student Khalam is a budding fencer who recently represented Team GB in the European Fencing Confederation U17 competition in Nuremberg in November 2023.
Khalam with the NewVIc Knights and coach Charles.
NewVIc first year Level 3 Sport student Khalam is a budding fencer who recently represented Team GB in the European Fencing Confederation U17 competition in Nuremberg in November 2023.
Khalam achieved the top 70 position out of 200 young people that competed in the games in Nuremberg and his aim is to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This summer he hopes to go to New Zealand to play in the Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships 2024 which is a prestigious multinational event being held at St Andrews College in Christchurch in July.
Khalam completed his GCSEs at Kingsford Community School before joining NewVIc to study a Level 3 Sport course. At the start of the academic year, he entered for the Basketball Academy Knights trial where he was scouted and included as a player on the team. He is now one of the star players who is going from strength to strength. The Basketball Academy Knights are currently playing in the inter-college basketball league and so far have played against Sigma Sixth College, College of West Anglia and Leyton Sixth Form College, winning all of their games and remaining at 4th place in the league.
Participating in the NewVIc Basketball Academy has helped boost Khalam’s confidence, skills, teamwork and expand his support network in basketball as well as fencing.
Khalam has fenced since he was little and he is open about the fact that growing up his family experienced financial hardship. Playing sports and representing team GB has many associated costs such as coaching, equipment, travel, accommodation and sustenance which he often struggled to cover.
According to Sport England, “sport participation is consistently higher among socio-economically advantaged individuals” and this is something that Khalam’s family, friends and peers at NewVIc support and encourage.
Khalam said:
“Fencing for team GB is a great honour and it’s an amazing experience. However, it is quite hard for me because there are so many costs and my parents are struggling to keep up with it all. However, on a positive note, I have access to so many opportunities. I get to travel to various parts of Europe, giving me great exposure to life around the globe.
NewVIc has helped me in numerous areas of fencing because it has taught me to be disciplined. Playing for the NewVIc Basketball Academy has taught me to be patient and how to work as a team. I didn’t play any other sports apart from fencing prior to joining the basketball team and am grateful for how the college has helped me to develop as a sportsperson”
NewVIc Head of Performance and Development Basketball, Charles Vuong, added:
“Joining the NewVIc Basketball Academy has Khalam in a number of ways. He came from a single sport background - taking part in a team sport has helped him to boost his confidence.
I have seen Khalam go from a shy character to one of the boldest first year students in the team. Whilst he found his feet in basketball and being a part of the academy also means he had to strive to have a lesson attendance too. At NewVIc our philosophy is to use the sports academy as a tool for success in both academically and on court.
We are so proud of Khalam. His fencing skills have progressed in the right direction as he sets his eyes on the Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in New Zealand this summer. Khalam has found a family and a great group of friends that push him to improve both inside and outside of college, keep up the sportsmanship Khalam!”
For more information about NewVIc’s Sport Academy, please visit here.