Tag: fencing

Egypt extended its reign at the 23rd African Fencing Championships, sweeping all three gold medals in the team events on Saturday at Charterhouse Lagos.

In a high-stakes final, Egypt edged Tunisia 45–41 to claim the Men’s Team Sabre title. The Egyptian squad—Ziad Elsissy, Adham Moataz, Mohamed Amer, and Ahmed Hesham—faced a formidable Tunisian team led by Fares Ferjani, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, alongside Lucas Messica, Maurice Andre, Mohamed Aziz Cherni, and Ahmed Ferjani.

Egypt took an early lead, but Tunisia fought back valiantly, narrowing the gap. However, Ahmed Hesham, the reigning 2025 African Champion, delivered a decisive performance to seal the win.

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In the semifinals, Egypt defeated Niger Republic 45–23, while Tunisia overcame Algeria 45–21. Algeria secured bronze with a 45–27 victory over Niger Republic.

Egypt also defended their Women’s Team Sabre crown, overcoming a spirited challenge from Tunisia to win 45–39. The Egyptian team featured 2025 Women’s Foil Champion Sara Amr, Jana Ehab, Noha Hany, and Malak

Hamza. Tunisia’s lineup included Nourane B’chir, Yasmine Ayari, and Yasmine Soussi.

In the past seven months, Charterhouse Lagos has made history by hosting one major international fencing tournament. The British school is now set to host the 23^rd  African Fencing Championships from June 25 to 29, further cementing its role as a hub for elite fencing in the region.

In November 2024, Charterhouse Lagos hosted the first-ever Fencing World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa, a landmark event that brought global attention to Nigeria’s growing fencing community. This year, the school will once again welcome top fencers from across the continent for the prestigious African Championships.

According to Angela Hencher, Chief Operating Officer of Charterhouse Lagos, the school’s embrace of fencing is deeply rooted in its heritage and educational philosophy.

“Charterhouse UK is one of the few traditional British independent schools with a strong and historic fencing programme. The sport promotes precision, mental agility, and sportsmanship—qualities we actively cultivate in our students,” Hencher explained. “We plan to introduce a scholarship programme in our Secondary School soon. Our Senior School opens this September, so we are still in the early stages.”

Reflecting on the impact of hosting the 2024 World Cup, Hencher noted :“The impact has been profound. It reinforced Charterhouse Lagos’s position as a trailblazer in elite, holistic education in Nigeria. It also aligned us with like-minded organisations such as Lagos Fencing. Hosting such a prestigious event immediately positioned us as a serious institution for elite sport and co-curricular excellence, and aligned us with global standards in sports organisation and performance.”

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She added that the event fostered a strong sense of pride within the school and the broader community:

“Parents and the wider school community feel proud to be part of a school that leads in such a prestigious event. It has helped spread the message that we are here, we are real, we are serious—and we are here to stay.”

Looking ahead to the African Championships, Hencher emphasized the significance of the event: “Hosting the African Championships is a major milestone. It reflects our commitment to providing world-class opportunities that enrich the student experience and elevate the school’s regional and global reputation. It’s also about being part of the global community.”

For the visiting teams, she promised a top-tier experience.

“They can expect a professional, welcoming, international facility with high-level organisation and efficiency. We aim to leave a lasting impression—one that showcases what is possible here in Lagos and Nigeria.”

Hencher also praised the efforts of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, particularly its leadership.

“The fencing community in Lagos is growing and passionate, driven by individuals like Adeyinka Samuel, whose dedication and tireless advocacy have inspired a new generation. We are honoured to be part of this journey. Seeing grassroots fencing take off is incredibly exciting for the future.”

Team Nigeria’s six-man squad is brimming with confidence as they head to the 2025 World Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in Wuxi, China, from April 7 to 15.

The squad comprises four boys and two girls, led by 17-year-old Inkosi Brou, the country’s highest-ranked fencer.

Brou, the grandson of the former DG of NAFDAC, is Nigeria’s most active fencer, having competed in over five tournaments this year. He is also the first Nigerian fencer to win a medal in an international event. He aims to improve his world ranking ahead of the 2025 African Senior Championships in Lagos this June.

“My target is to make the top 16 in the junior men’s Sabre individual event, improve my junior FIE rank, and perform better than I did last year at the Junior/Cadet World Championships in Saudi Arabia,” Brou said.

The squad also includes the Idongesit siblings, all making their international debut for Nigeria in China. Eighteen-year-old Mahathir Idongesit aims to finish in the top eight in his first world junior championship.

“My target in China is to make it to the top eight. I also hope to give my best no matter the outcome,” he said.

Fourteen-year-old Mahadi Idongesit is resolute in his ambition to reach the podium. “My target is to get on the podium and finish among the top three. I will give it my all to achieve this,” he stated. Despite the quality of possible opponents, Mahadi remains determined: “I expect to give my best no matter who I face in China.”

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Thirteen-year-old Sara Idongesit is looking to gain valuable experience in her maiden international outing. “My target in China is to reach the top 16 and give it everything I have. I see this as a valuable opportunity to learn and grow. No matter who I fence against, I’ll give it my all,” she said.

US-based Peluola Akinbamiro, who competed at this year’s African Junior Championships in Angola, has modest ambitions but remains hopeful. “I am hoping to make it to the top eight or higher and that everything will run smoothly,” the 13-year-old said.

Other African countries competing in China include Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, South Africa, Togo, and Tunisia. The World Cadets and Juniors Fencing Championships are an annual international competition hosted by the International Fencing Federation (FIE).

Following the provisional hosting rights granted to Nigeria a few months ago, the Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF) has formally awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships to the Nigeria Fencing Federation (NFF) ahead of Australia. This makes Nigeria the first sub-Saharan nation to stage the tournament.

In a letter issued on Thursday, March 27, signed by CFF President Marie-France Dufour and addressed to all member nations, it was resolved by a majority decision of the Board to award the hosting rights to Nigeria after reviewing the Technical Committee’s report.

The letter stated: “As most of you are no doubt aware, the CFF received bids from two prospective hosts for the upcoming 2026 CFF Senior-Veteran Championships. After some discussion, it was resolved, by a majority decision of the Board, to provisionally award the event to the Nigerian Fencing Federation, subject to their addressing certain shortcomings identified in their original bid.”

The statement added: “This additional information was submitted to the CFF Technical Committee and reviewed at their meeting on March 19, 2025. The committee delivered its recommendations to the Board, and these were discussed at the CFF Board meeting of March 27, 2025, after which it was agreed, by majority decision of the Board, to formally award the 2026 CFF Senior-Veteran Championships to the Nigerian Fencing Federation. The CFF congratulates the Nigerian Fencing Federation on being named host of these championships and wishes them every success in this endeavour .”

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An elated President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, described the trust reposed in Nigeria as a major boost to the fortunes of fencing in the country.

He, however, appealed for more support from both the public and private sectors for the sport.

“We bid for the hosting rights alongside Australia, and nobody ever gave us a chance to win. But after observing us host the Fencing World Cup in 2024, the CFF was convinced that we are ready to host any world-class tournament. I must acknowledge that this would not have been possible without the support of well-meaning individuals, Charter House Lagos, and my board members. With what we have achieved in the last year, the world is now looking towards Nigeria as a nation with the potential to produce champions and host top-class events. We are humbled by this honour to host the prestigious tournament, and we will start working towards hosting a befitting tournament. We intend to use this year’s African Senior Championships and the World Cup as tests for the  Commonwealth Championships in 2026,” he said.

The President of the British Fencing Federation, Pat Aiyenuro, has pledged her federation’s technical support to the Nigerian Fencing Federation, marking the beginning of a collaboration between the two nations.

Impressed with the organization of the first fencing World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa, Aiyenuro noted that assembling some of the world’s best fencers in Lagos confirms Nigeria’s growing status in the sport. She assured that British Fencing would partner with Nigeria to train its personnel, including coaches and referees, to be on par with the rest of the world technically.

“I think we are privileged to have some of the top fencing nations come here and compete. We have a world champion here, which shows that they believe in Nigeria’s ability to host a top-tier competition. I’m impressed; the quality of the fencing is world-class.

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“We are already working on a collaboration with the Nigeria Fencing Federation to train more referees and coaches. There is potential here, and the federation is forward-thinking, trying to make these things happen,” she said.

For 17-year-old Oluwashemilore Fashola, competing against some of the best fencers in the world has boosted his confidence ahead of future international tournaments.

“I’m very excited and proud of Nigeria for securing the hosting rights for this competition. It’s a great experience, especially since it’s my first. I’ve met many fencers, and they can see how far Nigeria has come in the sport.

Nigeria has been praised for successfully hosting the first Fencing World Cup hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia excelled with Egypt winning the team event by defeating Greece in the final, while Saudi Arabia claimed bronze.

In the singles event, Egypt’s Shamel Youssef won gold, defeating Saudi Arabia’s Abed Hassan, while Egyptians Elsayed Mahmoud and Osama Eslam shared the bronze.

Despite a tough preliminary group, Nigeria finished seventh in the team event.

The highest-ranked Nigerian fencer in the singles event was Ige Olumuyiwa, who placed 27^th  after being edged out in the round of 32 by Greece’s Theodoropoulos Panagiotis.

Under the leadership of Adeyinka Samuel, the Nigeria Fencing Federation organized a remarkable two-day tournament, which saw Egypt and Saudi Arabia emerge as the dominant forces.

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The 2024 Men’s Junior Epee Fencing World Cup took place at the Charterhouse Lagos, marking the first international tournament hosted by the British College.

The event featured 39 fencers from eight countries competing for medals and world rankings.

Pat Aiyenuro, President of British Fencing, expressed her admiration for the tournament’s organization, noting that it has positioned Nigeria as a promising host for future events.

“I am impressed. The venue is amazing; the organization and refereeing were impressive. We are privileged to have some of the top fencing nations here, including a world champion, which shows their confidence in Nigeria’s ability to host a top-tier competition,” she said.

Samuel highlighted the significance of hosting the tournament.

“We are grateful to host such an event. It has been challenging, especially financially, but our fencers gave their all. We aim to host more competitions and improve our capacity through partnerships with Italian and British fencing. This will help us host bigger tournaments and promote fencing across Nigeria.”