"Maybe my departure will be refreshing for fencing, anyone could come and do it now," Kaaberma told Estonian news outlet Delfi.

Peeter Järvelaid, president of the Estonian Fencing Federation, confirmed that the decision to step down had come from Kaaberma himself. "We would have liked him to continue, but Kaido decided it was time to call it a day."

The main question now is who will take over from Kaaberma to coach the national fencing team. The situation is further complicated as only two women's fencers are currently receiving the Estonian Olympic Committee's (EOK) top-tier funding to support their activities. New European champion Irina Embrich will receive an A-level salary and training allowance for the next two years, while Nelli Differt will remain at B-level for another year.

The remaining Estonian women's fencers will receive six months of C-level support from the EOK, amounting to  €1,500 per month, which is far from sufficient to cover the cost of attending training camps and traveling to international competitions. It will therefore extremely difficult for the Estonian Fencing Association to pay a competitive salary to the incoming head coach.

With the Estonian Fencing Association now in the hunt for a new head coach, Kaaberma could even decide to make a sensational return. "We live in a free society, no one forbids a person to run for office. Will I do it? Who can say?" said Kaaberma.

The possibility of the association offering Kaaberma a new deal if no suitable alternatives emerge has also not been entirely ruled out.

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