FENCING
British Fencing pledges technical support to Nigeria
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 technically on par with the rest of the world.
“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.
“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.
“Currently, I’m very impressed by the level of competition. All the other countries brought their best fencers to participate. Even though fencing isn’t very popular here, and many of us haven’t been doing it for long or consistently, we have still managed to go far. It’s a significant achievement since we were up against some of the best in the world.
“What we can do to improve is to participate in more competitions and keep facing these top fencers. We also need to continue training diligently,” he added.
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Nigeria is set to make history as the first Men’s Junior Epee World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa begins on Saturday, December 14, at Charterhouse Lagos.
This landmark event, sanctioned by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), will feature teams from Benin Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Oman, and host Nigeria.
A total of 34 fencers will compete for honours in the individual events, with world ranking points at stake.
This two-day tournament marks the first international event hosted by the iconic Charterhouse Lagos building.
Top officials from the FIE and Commonwealth Fencing Federation will be present to oversee the competition.
Nigeria is also vying to host the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in 2026.
Coach Ibrahim Alogba has expressed confidence in the Nigerian team, led by Wisdom Okanlawon, as they prepare to challenge their international counterparts.
All eyes will be on Egypt’s Eslam Osama, the tournament’s top seed. The Egyptian team boasts three top seeds, including Youssef Shamel and Mahmoud Elsayed, ranked second and third respectively.
Other top contenders include Hong Kong’s Kenton Jia Hsu and Greece’s Artemios Tzovanis.
The excitement surrounding the event underscores its significance to the Nigeria Fencing Federation, led by Adeyinka Samuel.
“Our athletes used to travel abroad for major competitions to earn ranking points. Now, with this event in Nigeria, they can save costs and gain points ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifiers.
“We are thrilled that months of preparation will culminate in this historic tournament on December 14. It signifies our growth in African fencing,” Samuel stated.
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The Nigeria Fencing Federation has announced a seven-man squad for the 2024 Men’s Junior Epee Fencing World Cup, scheduled for December 14-15 at Charterhouse Lagos.
Leading the squad is former African cadet and national junior champion, Wisdom Okanlawon.
The 17-year-old brings valuable experience from the 2022 African
Championships, where he excelled for Nigeria.
Joining him is 15-year-old Kiibaati Opasanya, the national school vice-champion, who will make his international debut at this tournament.
The squad also includes Oluwashemilore Fashola (17), Mustapha Fuad (16), Olumuyiwa Ige (17), Bade Martins (17), and Ramadan Sumon (15).
This talented group of young fencers is poised to represent Nigeria with pride and determination on the international stage under the guidance of coach Ibrahim Alogba, who expressed optimism about the athletes’ potential.
A delighted Fashola, participating in his first international
tournament, said, “I can’t wait to compete against the best in the
world.
“This is an opportunity for us to improve our world ranking and
perform well. I must thank the federation for allowing me to compete in this event, and I am looking forward to the tournament.”
Meanwhile, some participating athletes and teams have started arriving on Thursday, December 12, ahead of the kick-off on Saturday, December 14.
The Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF), led by its Technical Committee Chairman, Peter Smith, is in Lagos to monitor the success of the two-day tournament as part of the prerequisites to award the 2026 Commonwealth Championships to Nigeria.
Referees from South Africa and Senegal have also arrived in Lagos in readiness for the first Fencing World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa.
An official of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), Zied Feriani, who is the President of the FIE Rules Commission, has also touched down in Lagos to supervise the tournament.
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Oman and Kenya are the latest teams to join the list of participating countries for the 2024 Men’s Junior Epee Fencing World Cup, scheduled for December 14-15 at Charterhouse Lagos.
The Asian contingent registered at the last minute for the first Fencing World Cup to be staged in Sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to improve their world ranking at the International Fencing Federation (FIE)-sanctioned tournament. Oman will be represented by Al Harith Salim, who will be accompanied by his coach.
Kenya is coming to Lagos with a 12-man team as part of their build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup, also taking place in Lagos.
The East African nation, which is rapidly gaining ground in the sport, joins the likes of Benin Republic, Togo, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, and host Nigeria. The Saudi Arabian team, led by Hassan Abed, will have a
four-man squad.
Additionally, a strong eight-man team from Egypt, the top African fencing nation, is expected to arrive in Lagos this week to affirm their supremacy as the best-ranked team in the competition.
For America-based fencing world champion Mahmoud Elsayed of Egypt, the
tournament is crucial for his world ranking and securing his place in the Egyptian team. “The competition is crucial to both my world ranking and my position with the Egyptian national fencing team,” he said.
All is set for Charterhouse to host its first international sports tournament. The Nigeria Fencing Federation hopes to use the event to ignite a passion for fencing among young people across the country.
Adeyinka Samuel of the Nigeria Fencing Federation stated, “We are poised to host the world this week as months of preparation will be put to the test with the staging of the first World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We hope this will ignite more interest in the sport and attract more well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies. We are excited about the quality of athletes coming to Lagos and hope our athletes compete favourably against top fencers, especially from Egypt and Hong Kong.”
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