Tokyo Olympics: Fencer Perez Maurice loses bout but accepts coach's marriage proposal

Argentina fencer Maria Belen Perez Maurice might have suffered a defeat in the women's sabre event on Monday in the Tokyo Olympics, but she had a reason to smile despite the loss. Her coach Lucas Guillermo Saucedo (who has also been her boyfriend for 17 years), proposed to her after the defeat, reported the Guardian.

The 36-year-old fencer was analysing her loss in an interview and it was then that Saucedo came up to her and proposed. Saucedo came up to her holding a note which read: "Will you marry me??? Please." Maurice then screamed in delight and accepted.

"They [the interviewer] told me to turn around, and he had the letter. I forgot everything. I was like: Oh my God. We are very happy. We are very good partners. Of course, we have fights, but we enjoy each other's time. We love each other so much, and we want to spend our lives together. We are going to celebrate in Buenos Aires with a big barbecue," the Guardian quoted Maurice as saying.

Talking about the proposal, Saucedo said: "I love her, and when she lost the match she got very sad, so maybe this proposal should change her mentality. I wrote on the paper at the moment. If she had won, no, I would have waited for the moment."

The couple had met through fencing. Saucedo had represented Argentina in fencing before becoming a coach. He coached Maurice and they eventually started dating.

( With inputs from ANI )