Fencing federation relishes successful hosting of Junior Enpee World Cup

Egypt, Saudi Arabia dominate tournament

The Nigeria Fencing Federation (NFF) is still savouring the accolades received from participants for successfully hosting the first Fencing World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The NFF, led by Adeyinka Samuel, organised a remarkable two-day tournament, which saw Egypt and Saudi Arabia emerging as the dominant forces.

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

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

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

“I have been very impressed. The venue is amazing; the organisation 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.

NFF President, 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,” Samuel stated.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia excelled in the tournament, 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,