The pursuit of medals commenced on Wednesday at the 2025 African Fencing Championships in Lagos, with Egypt—widely regarded as a continental powerhouse—asserting its dominance by securing the tournament’s inaugural gold medal.
A total of 150 fencers representing 18 nations from across the African continent are participating in the 23rd edition of the championship, currently taking place at Charterhouse Lagos.
The five-day event opened with the men’s épée and women’s foil individual categories, conducted under the standard format wherein bouts are determined by the first competitor to achieve five hits within a three-minute time limit.
Notably, Nigerian athletes are actively participating in the competition and are fully engaged in the contest for honors.
Adegbola Babade, Wisdom Okanlawon, and the Idongesit brothers—Mahadi and Mahathir—successfully advanced from their respective pools but were subsequently eliminated in the men’s individual event.
Despite a narrow defeat in the Round of 32 to reigning world junior champion Mahmoud El-Sayed, Mahathir Idongesit maintained a positive outlook.
“I am elated to have competed against one of the world’s premier athletes,” stated Mahathir Idongesit following his narrow defeat to the reigning world junior champion, Mahmoud El-Sayed, in the Round of 32. “It was a tightly contested bout, and I relished every moment. The experience has significantly bolstered my confidence and will remain a defining memory.”
Also representing Nigeria on home soil for the first time, U.S.-based athlete Peluola Akinbamiro demonstrated considerable resilience and determination in the women’s individual event.
The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was represented at the tournament’s opening ceremony by the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Lekan Fatodu. In his remarks, the Governor commended the Nigeria Fencing Federation and the International Fencing Federation for their commitment to promoting the sport within the country.
“This championship provides a platform for critical dialogue on how fencing can be harnessed as an instrument for broader societal benefit,” he stated. “The collaboration between the Nigerian Fencing Federation and the International Fencing Federation signals a shared intent to establish a strategic partnership with UNICEF—one that envisions fencing as a catalyst for youth empowerment, child protection, poverty alleviation, and the creation of economic opportunities for our athletes.
“Fencing, at this juncture, holds the potential to offer profound meaning for the African child. We stand at the threshold of transforming lives—especially those of children yet to encounter the sport. Once regarded as the exclusive pursuit of European aristocracy, fencing is poised to evolve into something nobler: an African purpose. I am confident that, through effective collaboration, we can successfully integrate fencing into the curriculum of all public schools nationwide.”
The second day of the tournament is scheduled to feature competition in the men’s individual sabre and women’s individual épée categories.#newsafro_
