Nigeria made a remarkable entry into the global fencing scene at the weekend when teenage sensation, Inkosi Brou, won the country’s first-ever medal in the Sabre category, at the World Tournoi Satellite Cup in Iceland.Competing against some of the world’s elite fencers at the Viking Cup 2024, a Senior World Cup Satellite Sabre Tournament, the world’s No.
67 ranked fencer, Brou, clinched a silver medal after a hard-fought 9-15 match against Iceland’s Andre Mateev. As the No. 5 seed, Brou began his campaign in the round of 16, defeating Germany’s Magnus De Witt 15-9.
He continued his winning streak in the quarterfinals with a close 15-13 victory over Spain’s Oriol Farre. In the semifinals, Brou faced his biggest hurdle when he met number-one seed, Cristoher Cortez of Ecuador in a tactical and intense match, ultimately advancing to the final with a 15-14 win.
Inkosi, the grandson of former NAFDAC Director General, the late Dora Akunyili, expressed his excitement and inspiration from his performance, which fuels his ambition for a spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. “Starting the fencing season with a silver medal at one of my first senior FIE competitions is a great achievement.