Nigeria wins six medals at fencing championships
Nigeria wins six medals, including Africa’s first wheelchair fencing medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos.
Nigeria has won six medals, comprising one silver and five bronze, at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships. The feat also saw Nigeria secure Africa’s first-ever international medal in Wheelchair Fencing at a competition staged on the continent. The competition is being held at the Rugby School Nigeria, Atlantic City, in Lagos. This is the first time an international wheelchair fencing event will be held in Africa, with Nigeria already leading with five medals in the para-fencing events.
In the women’s epee Category A, Itunu Kumuyi and Joy Iorguma won bronze medals after reaching the semi-finals before losing to their Indian opponents. In Category B, Joyce Otun and Abiola Rahamon also won bronze medals, further highlighting Nigeria’s breakthrough in para-fencing. Chidinma Dennis completed the wheelchair fencing medal haul with a silver medal, after losing to India’s Sheranthi Thomas in the final.
Programme Director, Wheelchair Fencing in the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Tonye Sawari, described the achievement as historic. “You cannot imagine that we started training just three months ago, yet our athletes quickly became competitive against countries with years of international experience. This is a remarkable beginning, and we hope to build on this success to raise the profile of wheelchair fencing in Nigeria,” he said.
The achievement is historic. Nigeria has only been training for three months, yet the athletes have become competitive against countries with years of international experience. The performance is a testament to the talent and determination of the athletes. The success of the wheelchair fencing team is a breakthrough for para-sports in Nigeria.
This echoes the 2022 Commonwealth Games fencing performance, which also saw Nigeria make its mark. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a growing presence in fencing.
The winners: the Nigerian fencing team, which has made history; and Nigerian para-sports, which gains recognition. The losers: the countries that were defeated; and the Nigerian government, which must invest in the sport.
Bottom Line: Nigeria has won six medals at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. Africa’s first wheelchair fencing medal has been secured. The question is whether the momentum can be sustained.