Nigeria has won six medals — one silver and five bronze — at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos, including Africa’s first-ever international medal in wheelchair fencing.
The championships are being held at Rugby School Nigeria, Atlantic City, with Nigeria making a strong impression in the para-fencing events. Itunu Kumuyi and Joy Iorguma won bronze in Women’s Epee Category A, while Joyce Otun and Abiola Rahamon also claimed bronze in Category B.
Chidinma Dennis completed Nigeria’s wheelchair fencing medal haul with a silver medal after finishing runner-up to India’s Sheranthi Thomas. The results mark a major milestone for wheelchair fencing on the continent, with Nigeria hosting the first international wheelchair fencing competition in Africa.
Programme Director of Wheelchair Fencing at the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Tonye Sawari, described the achievement as historic, noting that the athletes had only trained for about three months before competing against countries with significantly more international experience.
Nigeria’s sixth medal came from Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye, who won bronze in the men’s senior sabre. He defeated England’s Charles Gellett and India’s Bebit Bright before losing to Australia’s Yoongi Shim in the semi-final despite playing through an early hand injury.
The championships, which began on August 9, will end on August 14. Nigeria’s performance has strengthened hopes for the growth of both able-bodied and para-fencing in the country and across Africa.
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