U.S., top-rated fencing nations set for Lagos 2024 festival

Some of the best fencing countries in the world, including the United States, Greece, Hong Kong, and Egypt are among the countries already confirmed for the 2024 Men’s Junior Enpee World Cup scheduled to be held at the Charterhouse Lagos, on December 14 and 15.

This is the first time Nigeria will be hosting the tournament, which serves as an Olympic-point-earning event for athletes.

The NFF President, Adeyinka Samuel, said that he is excited that Nigeria will be the first Sub-Saharan African country to host the Fencing World Cup, adding that only North African nations like Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia have staged the event on the continent.
 
“We are excited by the opportunity given to Nigeria to stage this important event. We are also grateful to the management of Charterhouse Lagos for agreeing to host the tournament. This is a rare opportunity for any country in Africa, and we are thrilled to become the first sub-Saharan African country to host the World Cup.

“Having successfully hosted the African championships in 2018 and 2020, we have been eager to host the World Cup. Our bid was unanimously supported, and this event will provide our fencers with the chance to experience top-class competition at home,” Samuel said.

In addition to allowing Nigerian athletes to compete against the best in the sport, Samuel said the World Cup would also help local players to earn points ahead of the qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in the United States.
 
Also speaking on the World Cup, the Director of Education at Charterhouse Lagos, John Todd, expressed the school’s enthusiasm to host the event.
“We are excited that Nigeria is hosting such an event. At Charterhouse Lagos, fencing has been part of the UK’s independent youth programme. Partnering with the Nigeria Fencing Federation is a long-term collaboration that we believe will help grow the sport.

“We are also supporting their quest to stage the Commonwealth Championships, as we have the facilities to support them. We believe more young Nigerians will embrace the sport, and we are committed to supporting Nigeria in improving the state of fencing,” Todd said.