Continental fencing heavyweights arrive for 23rd African Championships

By : Daniel Akinola

Date: 24 June 2025 3:14am WAT

Paris 2024 Olympics silver medallist, Feras Ferjani, is leading Tunisia’s team to the 23rd African Fencing Championships, which begins tomorrow at the Charterhouse, Lagos.

The best of African fencing nations, including Egypt and Tunisia, have arrived in Nigeria ahead of the 23rd African Fencing Championships, which will be held at Charterhouse Lagos from tomorrow to June 29.

The five-day, 12-event tournament will feature top fencers from across the continent, all vying for the 12 gold medals in both individual and team events.

Egypt, the most decorated nation in African fencing, arrived with the largest contingent, including the El-Sayed brothers, Olympic bronze medallist Mohamed El-Sayed, and world junior champion Mahmoud El-Sayed.

Mohamed, 22, claimed bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and also won gold at the 2022 Mediterranean Games. His younger brother, Mahmoud, recently clinched gold at the 2025 Junior World Championships in Wuxi, China, and currently holds the world No. 1 junior ranking.

The Egyptian team, which landed in Lagos aboard an EgyptAir flight from Cairo, is determined to defend the overall title they secured in 2024. Tunisia, another fencing powerhouse, arrived with a strong squad led by Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist, Farès Ferjani. The 27-year-old is the reigning champion in the individual men’s saber and will also lead Tunisia’s men’s sabre team.

Other participating nations, including Mauritius, Angola, Rwanda, South Africa, Guinea, Morocco, Libya, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, were expected to arrive yesterday ahead of the tournament’s opening day.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Fencing Federation (NFF) has expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support received from corporate sponsors and individuals, particularly Charterhouse, the host venue, which also staged the 2024 World Cup.

Federation President, Adeyinka Samuel, said: “We are truly grateful for the support from government agencies and corporate bodies in helping to put Nigeria on the global fencing map through the hosting of this continental championship. Charterhouse has been a steadfast partner since the 2024 World Cup, and their continued support is deeply appreciated. We hope this inspires other institutions to follow their lead.”