Joanne Norell | March 15, 2017
For the University of Notre Dame fencing program, the week of Spring Break is viewed as a training camp of sorts ahead of the NCAA Championships.
This year will be no different, except for an added wrinkle. This week, the Irish won’t just face the Irish, but will see fresh competition as they welcome a delegation from Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance in Shanghai, China, as part of a friendship program organized in conjunction with Notre Dame International.
“This week will be a great example of the ideals that our University and our team live by,” Irish head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia said. “It will be a great educational and cultural opportunity for our athletes to meet and train with their counterparts from Shanghai. It will serve to bring our two universities closer together, and in a small way, our two nations.
“It will also serve as good preparation for the NCAA Championships. But even if it didn’t, this program would be absolutely worth doing, and we’re excited for the upcoming week.”
The Lixin group will join the Irish for a week of fencing and relationship building, with four days of competition, as well as recreational and educational opportunities around campus and the surrounding area.
Originally published by at dailydomer.nd.edu on March 15, 2017.