Over in Algeria, fencing coaches have been taking part in a year-long training program with the International Fencing Federation, in a bid to build their skills within the sport. CGTN's Edmond Nyabola went to cross swords with some of them, and see how it's benefiting them.

Eight coaches from Francophone Africa and Libya have assembled in the Algerian capital for a high-level technical training in fencing. After 17 years in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, the project has been moved to Algiers. The year-long training program is followed by up to three years of high level fencing practice in the home countries of participating coaches. The aim is to raise the level of the sport across the continent.

AHMED GANA AFRICAN FENCING ACADEMY DIRECTOR "It's an 11-month course for coaches to become a master of arms, which is the highest level of technical experts. In fencing there are three one-technical categories. We bring experts from abroad to teach different categories. Our objective is to produce African masters of arms. That's the policy the International Federation set out for Africa."

Lee Shin-mi from Korea is one of two technical instructors contracted by the international fencing federation to administer the training. As a two-time Olympian, and an Asian Games gold medalist, she has gathered enough experience and knowledge over the years, to share with the African coaches.

LEE SHIN-MI TECHNICAL INSTRUCTOR "I give them training about fencing technical do's, and in the afternoon we have two hours of practical courses, to understand how to give lessons to the children, and then basic movement, to have a better understanding of fencing in general. And then after that, the students will give lessons to children here, to practice what they've learned here in the afternoons."

For the students, who are mostly national team coaches in their respective countries, the year-long training program is a welcome idea in the effort to improve the level of the sport in the continent.

SIRAJEDDINE TAJOORI LIBYA COACH "I really try to learn the technical and tactical aspects of the sport, to implement in the coming African and global competitions. What a fencing coach is most in need of is training on physical preparation, technical, and tactical aspects. We need to focus on technical and tactical aspects, not only in Libya, but also in the whole of Africa."

IBRAHIM TRAORE MALI COACH "We're going to scout and pick players based on their strengths. Then we will implement the strategies we've learned here. For example, how to manage young players, adults, and champions. So we've learned a lot and we have lots of strategies for each aspect of the sport."

The students will graduate in January 2019, after which they will embark on implementing the lessons in their respective national federations.

EDMOND NYABOLA ALGIERS "The sport of fencing is not very popular within the African continent, in fact, some of the coaches here come from countries where there is very little to no fencing at all. But it is such initiatives by the International Francophone Fencing Academy that seek to open up the sport within the continent, and increase African participation in the Olympics. EN, CGTN, Algiers, Algeria."