Coach Slava
Mr Bobok Viacheslav (informally known as "Slava") is a fencing coach from Russia with 29 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 Y-Sparks Fencing Team. He is currently continuing to coach some the best fencers of Singapore National Team as well as develop young and perspective fencers of Y-Sparks Fencing Team. His most current coaching achievement is his athlete claiming a bronze medal in FIE Satellite World Cup 2014 (Copenhagen). In addition, 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 29 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.