As the Nigeria Fencing Federation prepares to host the 2024 men’s junior Epee World Cup this weekend, the country is also among the nations being considered to host the 2026 Commonwealth Championships.
In respect of this, the Commonwealth Fencing Federation has delegated a team to monitor the 2024 men’s junior Epee Fencing World Cup, scheduled for December 14-15 at Charterhouse Lagos.
This visit is a prerequisite for awarding hosting rights to the bidding nation for the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championship.
Chairman of the Technical Committee of Commonwealth Fencing Federation, Peter Smith, will be in Lagos for the two-day tournament to assess Nigeria’s readiness to host the Commonwealth Championships in 2026.
President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, stated that the importance of the visit is to evaluate the country’s organisational and facility capabilities.
“We are excited that we are not where we were a few years ago. The international fencing community now sees Nigeria as a significant fencing nation in sub-Saharan Africa, especially with the hosting of the first World Cup in this region.
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“The CFF’s decision to send its technical committee chairman to assess our readiness for a major 2026 tournament is a testament to our progress. We aim to rival North African countries in terms of hosting major events in Africa, and this visit will help the Commonwealth body decide on awarding the hosting rights to Nigeria,” Samuel said.
He maintained that Charterhouse Lagos has pledged its support to the Nigeria Fencing Federation for the 2026 Commonwealth Championships.
Head of School at Charterhouse, Lagos, John Todd, highlighted the school’s commitment, saying that “as the first British independent school in West Africa, part of the 400-year history of Charterhouse School in the UK, fencing is a traditional part of our program.
“We have world-class facilities and are seeking partnerships with top-tier sports organizations. This partnership aligns with our core values and offers an excellent opportunity for our school to nurture talents. We fully support the Fencing Federation of Nigeria’s efforts to bring the Commonwealth Championship to Nigeria.”
