Lagos is set to welcome about 250 fencers from more than 20 countries for the Commonwealth Fencing Championships, scheduled to hold from Sunday, August 9, to Friday, August 14.
President of the Nigerian Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, said Nigeria was ready to host a successful championship and expressed confidence that the home team could use the advantage of competing on home soil to win medals.
Samuel said Nigerian athletes had trained extensively and would target medals, including gold, in the under-23, veterans and wheelchair fencing categories. He added that the tournament had attracted about 350 entries across the under-23, senior, veteran and wheelchair events.
He assured athletes and officials that organisers had made adequate arrangements for technical compliance, transportation, venue operations, officials’ coordination and medical services, including first-aid support and a standby ambulance.
President of the Commonwealth Fencing Federation, Marie-France Dufour, described the Lagos championship as a major milestone, noting that it was the first Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Africa in a decade. She said the event would also introduce under-23 individual events and make wheelchair fencing a full medal event.
Nigerian MP fencer Wisdom Okanlawo said he was honoured to represent Nigeria and hoped to win a medal despite the strong international competition. The Local Organising Committee said hosting the championships would provide Nigerian athletes and other competitors with an important platform to compete at elite level while promoting the growth of fencing across the Commonwealth.
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