Fencing twins take rivalry to new heights as the SA champions share what they love about the sport
Identical twin brothers are spurring each other to the top of their sport – fencing. For a bit of fun and a fight with a view the pair headed above Adelaide Oval to celebrate World Fencing Day.
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For Adelaide identical twins Nalin and Roshan Chandran, there isn’t much one doesn’t do well the other doesn’t try to do even better.
For now, Roshan who arrived in the world just after his brother, is the U-17 national fencing champion.
Top spot is something Nalin, the more outgoing of the two, hopes to soon wrestle from his brother.
“In hindsight, I am really happy for him (to be No. 1) but at the time, I was a little bit angry that I got eliminated,” the 17-year-old said.
”But if it isn’t going to be me, I am glad it is him.”
The brothers have been competing in the sport of fencing since being introduced to it by friends in primary school.
“When I was a kid, I was really into Star Wars films and I really liked playing with plastic lightsabers and those types of things … I immediately fell in love with it, it is kind of my dream sport,” Nalin said.
Roshan agreed and said having a twin to practise with was a “phenomenal advantage”.
“It is really, really good as you always have someone to train against who is at your level and you have got that motivation to get better,” he said.
“We are competitive against each other, particularly in state competitions when we come up against each other quite often … I am pretty sure Mum and Dad sometimes just close their eyes.”
The rivalry is such that when Roshan had to have his appendix out in April, a few weeks later Nalin also required appendix surgery.
“It was a strange coincidence but a good thing, I suppose, to happen during COVID when we didn’t have as many competitions happening,” Roshan said with a laugh.
The Year 12 Heathfield High students are each hoping to continue fencing while at university.
“I am hoping to take (fencing) a bit more seriously when I finish school and would like to get onto the national team and represent at a senior international level,” Nalin said.
No matter how far they go with the sport, the brothers say they plan to continue to enjoy it – and give back to the sport – as long as they can.
“It is a really great community – diverse in age range and gender – and has a really good culture of bringing people up – when I started, I was mentored and helped through and coached by everyone … I am now starting to return that,” Nalin said.
The brothers, who took their weapons to the top of Adelaide Oval for a fun bout with a view courtesy of RoofClimb to promote today’s World Fencing Day, urge people to give their sport a go by contacting Fencing SA for their nearest club.