Slava

Mr Bobok Viacheslav (informally known as "Slava") is a fencing coach from Russia with 30 years of professional working experience. After attending his first training at the age of 10, he fell in love with the sport which was the deciding factor for choosing the profession years later. Throughout his career as a fencer, government of USSR has awarded Slava with a sports title of "Master of Sport of USSR for Fencing". He graduated from Smolensk University of Physical Culture before going on to fulfill his passion to coach. His sports science degree consisted of 5 years of education in various sports and sports-related disciplines.

With his wife, Maria Bobok they worked closely for 12 years in School of Olympic Sport Reserve developing Russian fencers. Many of them represented the Russian Federation, and became champions or other prize winners in Russia and international competitions. Throughout his career as a coach, government of Russia has awarded Slava with a coaching title of "Honored Coach of Russia for Fencing" which is the highest coaching title in Russia. In late 2002, Coach Slava and his wife were invited to Singapore to raise the standard here; he became Singapore Women's Foil National Coach in 2004.

Coach Slava was coaching Singapore Women's Foil National Team until the end of 2012. Below are just some results which Singapore Women's Foil managed to achieve under his coaching guidance:

  • Gold Champions of SEA Games 2005 in Women's Foil Team Event (1st gold in 15 years of Singapore's fencing history & 1st Women's Foil Title with the team's average age of only 17)

  • Gold Champion of first ever held Commonwealth Junior Championships 2006 in Women's Foil Individual Event (1st gold at Commonwealth level in Singapore's fencing history)

  • Gold Champions of first ever held Commonwealth Junior Championships 2006 in Women's Foil Team Event (1st gold at Commonwealth level in Singapore's fencing history)

  • Bronze Medalist of Asian Junior Championships 2006 in Women's Foil Individual Event (1st medal for Singapore fencing at Asian level, and Asian junior level)

  • Gold Champions of SEA Games 2007 in Women's Foil Team Event (Singapore's single gold medal in fencing at the SEA Games 2007)

  • Bronze Medalists of Asian Championships 2007 in Women's Foil Team Event (Singapore's first fencing medal as Asian senior level)

  • Bronze Medalists of Asian Championships 2009 in Women's Foil Team Event

  • 6th Overall Placement in first ever held Youth Olympic Games 2010 in Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Silver Medalist of Asian Junior Championships 2011 in Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Bronze Medalist of Asian Under 23 Championships 2012 in Women's Foil Individual Event (Singapore's first fencing medal at Asian Under 23 level)

Throughout his stay in Singapore, coach Slava also managed to raise multiple gold champions and other medalists, individual and team, of various local national and international competitions such as Singapore Cadet & Junior Championships, Singapore National Championships, Pesta Sukan, Fencing Singapore International (FSI) and many others. In addition, his students also claimed victories in many regional competitions such as Malaysia Open, Thai Open, Taipei Open, Hong Kong Open and many others in both individual and team events. It is needless to say that his athletes continue to perform exceptionally up to today making Team Singapore proud. 

In year 2007, Slava has successfully obtained Level 3 of National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) with Sport Singapore, formerly known as Singapore Sports Council. It is important to note that Level 3 is the highest qualification which only few fencing coaches in Singapore posses.

For various achievements as well as personal qualities as a professional coach, Sport Singapore formerly known as Singapore Sports Council awarded coach Slava with multiple coaching awards including:

  • "Talent Development Coaching Award" in Coach Recognition Awards 2006

  • "High Performance Coaching Award" in Coach Recognition Awards 2007

  • "Coaches Award" in POSB Everyday Champions Awards 2009

Also in year 2006, Singapore National Olympic Council presented coach Slava's team "SNOC Junior Team of the Year 2006" award which was fencing’s first SNOC Sports Award in Singapore’s history. In addition, Coach Slava has always been working very closely with various sport science specialists such as sport doctors, physiologists, strength and conditioning coaches, psychologists, biomechanic's experts, nutritionists and many others in order to maximize the true potential of each of his athletes.

In 2013 coach Slava became the head coach of International Fencing School continuing to contribute to the National Team as a National Partner Coach. He is currently continuing to coach some the best fencers of Singapore National Team as well as develop young and perspective fencers of our team. Below are just some results which his fencers managed to achieve under his coaching guidance in International Fencing School:

  • Bronze medalist in FIE Satellite World Cup 2014 in Copenhagen in Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Gold Medalist in SEA Pacific and ASEAN Championships 2015 in Cadet Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Gold Medalists in 28 SEA Games 2015 in Women's Foil Team Event

  • Silver Medalist in Commonwealth Fencing Junior and Cadet Championships 2015 in Cadet Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Gold Medalist in Challenge CEP Marathon Fleurette 2016

  • Gold Medalist in 2nd SEA Pacific Fencing Championships 2016 in Cadet Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Gold Medalist in European Cadet Circuit International Tournament 2016 and 2017 in Manchester in Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Bronze Medalists in Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in Cadet Women's Foil Individual Event and Cadet Women’s Epee Team Event

  • Bronze Medalist in USA Summer National Championships & July Challenge 2017 in Junior Women's Foil Individual Event

  • Silver Medalist in Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships 2018 in Junior Women's Foil Team Event (Coach Slava was the main coach guiding the national team to victory in Verona during quarter and semi final matches against France and Germany respectively as well as assisted in round of 16 and final matches against Poland and USA respectively)

  • Bronze Medalist in Asian Games 2018 in Women’s Foil Team Event (Singapore's first fencing medal in Asian Games)

  • Silver Medalist in 30th SEA Games 2019 in Women’s Epee Team Event

It is worth mentioning that a great number of leisure and recreational fencers in Singapore seek his professional advice when he is available in his training and competition schedule.

As a holder of a university sports science degree with professional working experience as a fencing coach for the past 30 years, coach Slava finds it important to share his knowledge with other coaches and promising athletes in Singapore many of whom have been approaching him on personal basis for master class sessions and seminars. As such, coach Slava plans to further his education in sports science and sports management in order to obtain a post graduate doctorate qualification which would provide him with an even more powerful and wider set of professional tools. He is currently searching for a better option to pursue this endeavor in order not to disrupt his coaching profession. 

 

Maria

Mrs. Maria Bobok is a Russian Fencing Coach with 28 years of professional coaching experience. She started fencing when she was 12 years old and joined the Sports School in Moscow to further her academic studies with a focus on sports. She graduated from Smolensk University of Physical Culture before going on to fulfil her passion to coach. Her sports science degree consisted of 5 years of education in various sports and sports-related disciplines.

With her husband, Viacheslav Bobok (informally known as "Slava") they worked closely for 12 years in School of Olympic Sport Reserve developing Russian fencers. Many of them represented the Russian Federation, and achieved excellent results both in Russia and international competitions. In late 2002, Coach Maria and her husband were invited to Singapore to raise the standard here.

Maria was the coach of the Singapore National Women's Epee Team until year 2006. When she had just taken the post, many senior women's epeeists retired due to commitments in their work or studies. Suddenly faced with an uphill task to fill in the gap of the National Team, she identified many young girls, most under the age of 17, to develop so as to replace the retired fencers. Under her motherly guidance, the girls improved significantly in their performance on the local and international scene beginning from the age-group to the senior (Open) level. Over these 3 years, her students swept all the gold medals in the Singapore Individual Championships in the Women's Epee Event across different age groups as well as the senior events. They have also had many good international performances, including Bronze at the Southeast Asian Championships 2006 for the Senior Team Women's Epee, and Silver and Bronze for the Cadet (U-17) Individual Event.

In year 2007, Maria has successfully obtained Level 3 of National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) with Sport Singapore, formerly known as Singapore Sports Council. It is important to note that Level 3 is the highest qualification which only few fencing coaches in Singapore posses.

Later in year 2007, Maria has founded International Fencing School (formerly known as Y-Sparks Fencing) launching a community of young fencers who were dedicated to the cause since the start of their first training. In just 2 - 3 years time, Maria's young athletes have shown a tremendous result whereby almost each of her fencers in the team won medals at the National Level and some of International Levels.

International Fencing School has then began to expand and develop vastly starting from year 2010 after the local community has learned about our team's achievements, allowing Maria to enrich more lives with her knowledge of fencing. Many of Maria's fencers became members of Singapore Fencing National Team representing Singapore in international competitions. One of the reasons of such success is Maria's ability to focus on and develop the individual athlete according to the athlete's unique strengths instead of forcing on the same style of fencing onto every fencer.

At the moment, there are plenty of recreational fencers who have became a part of International Fencing School receiving Maria's coaching guidance. Maria has always believed that professional sporting development is not only about training full-time and neither is it only for elite athletes. There is a handful of recreational senior fencers who train as well as parents who send their children primarily for health and fitness. However, their training is professionally carried out regardless of whether they choose to pursue high-level sport. This benefits fencers especially children in terms of holistic development. This also allows those interested to have a good foundation to build on, should they develop a passion to be competitive.