…Egypt, Saudi Arabia dominate tournament
Nigeria has been praised for successfully hosting the first Fencing World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Under the leadership of Adeyinka Samuel, the Nigeria Fencing Federation organized a remarkable two-day tournament, which saw Egypt and Saudi Arabia emerge as the dominant forces.
The 2024 Men’s Junior Epee Fencing World Cup took place at the Charterhouse Lagos, marking the first international tournament hosted by the British College.
The event featured 39 fencers from eight countries competing for medals and world rankings.
Pat Aiyenuro, President of British Fencing, expressed her admiration for the tournament’s organization, noting that it has positioned Nigeria as a promising host for future events.
“I have been very impressed. The venue is amazing; the organization 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.
Adeyinka Samuel, President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, 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, while Egyptians Elsayed Mahmoud and Osama Eslam shared the bronze.
Despite a tough preliminary group, Nigeria finished seventh in the team event. The highest-ranked Nigerian fencer in the singles event was Ige Olumuyiwa, who placed 27th after being edged out in the round of 32 by Greece’s Theodoropoulos Panagiotis.
