The men’s competition begun today at the FIE Sabre Grand Prix in Seoul ©FIE/Facebook/Manky/Bizzi

Hungary’s Tamás Decsi was the strongest first-round qualifier as the men’s competition begun today at the International Fencing Federation Sabre Grand Prix in Seoul.

Decsi won all six of his Pool 10 matches on a successful day at the SK Handball Gym.

Home favourite Kim Giwon went undefeated in Pool 4 to rank second, while fellow South Korean Kim Junho and Italy’s Aldo Montano shared third spot.

The 16 top-seeded entrants were exempt from the pool competition.

Home favourite Gu Bon-gil is one of 16 fencers to have been given a first-round exemption ©Getty Images
Home favourite Gu Bon-gil is one of 16 fencers to have been given a first-round exemption ©Getty Images

Number one seed Gu Bon-gil is eyeing home success with the 28-year-old in good form after winning last month’s World Cup competition in Warsaw in Poland.

Awaiting him in the round of 64 is France’s Baptiste Dubarry.

Decsi will go up against China’s Yan Yinghui.

Both the men’s and women’s events are due to conclude tomorrow.