President Novak nominates Olympic fencing champion Aron Szilagyi for World Fair Play Prize

Novak informed Szilagyi of her decision in person at a joint training session on Tuesday.

The president highlighted Szilagyi’s exemplary act when he let his opponent score a hit on him earlier this year, saying she believed many in Hungary agreed that the nation had reason to be proud of the multi-time Olympian, world champion and athlete “who is a role model to children and adults alike”. Szilagyi is someone who demonstrates sportsmanlike conduct in sports, public life and everyday life, Novak added.

Szilagyi said he was proud of the nomination and strived to live a life that would make him worthy of it in the future, too. He said the concept of fair play “ranks high” among his values and that he considered it important to set a good example for young people in sports, the fencing studio and public life as well.

Noting his act of fair play this past March when he allowed an opponent to score a hit on him despite being several points down after an earlier hit by his opponent had not been registered, Szilagyi said he had acted “fully on instinct”.

In her letter to Jeno Kamuti, president of the International Fair Play Committee, Novak said she was nominating Szilagyi for the “exemplary act” he had displayed in the final of the Gerevich-Kovacs-Karpati Men’s Sabre World Cup in Budapest on March 26.

The president’s nomination emphasises that Szilagyi’s gesture in the event had been “self-evident” according the Olympic champion’s values, the presidential Sandor Palace told MTI.

Novak pointed out that her justification of the nomination provided an opportunity to raise international public awareness of Szilagyi’s “unique and humane generosity”.