Adeyinka Samuel has added another milestone to Nigeria’s fencing history, becoming the first Nigerian sabre fencer to claim a medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. The Nigerian Fencing Federation president, who was recently elected to lead the Commonwealth Fencing Confederation (CFF), is also the first African to hold that position.
Quick facts
- Samuel won silver in the men’s veteran sabre event.
- India led the medal table with 20 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals.
- Nigeria finished third overall with one gold, three silver and 13 bronze medals.
- The six-day competition was staged at Rugby School Nigeria in Atlantic City, Victoria Island.
- The championship is due to end on Friday, August 14, with a closing ceremony combining fencing and cultural performances.
The former top-level fencer returned to competition after 13 years away from the piste. In the veteran men’s sabre division, he took on experienced competitors representing Wales, Australia and Nigeria.
Samuel won three of his four bouts, including a victory over fellow Nigerian Tonye Sawari. His only loss was against Wales’ Oliver Massey, who went on to win the title, leaving Samuel with a historic silver medal — the first medal of his career and a landmark result for Nigeria.
“I am delighted,” Samuel said. “I competed at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Championships in Australia and came close to winning a medal, so finally achieving it as a veteran means a great deal to me. It is a reminder that determination can make anything possible.”
He added that Nigeria’s wider medal haul was a source of pride, highlighting the displays by the country’s young fencers and wheelchair athletes. Their results, he said, underlined the need for Nigeria to treat fencing as a serious Olympic sport.
Samuel also praised the event’s staging, describing it as the finest Commonwealth Championships yet held. In his new role as CFF president, he said his immediate goal was to help return fencing to the main Commonwealth Games.
He further called for closer cooperation between the International Fencing Federation (FIE) and the CFF, with the aim of expanding and strengthening fencing throughout the region.
India again finished as the Commonwealth’s leading fencing nation, collecting 20 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals during the six-day meet at Rugby School Nigeria in Atlantic City, Victoria Island. England placed second with three gold, two silver and nine bronze medals.
Nigeria recorded its strongest international showing so far, taking third position with one gold, three silver and 13 bronze medals. That tally made the hosts the highest-ranked African team among the 20 countries in the competition.
Wales occupied fourth place with one gold and one bronze, while Cyprus was fifth after winning one gold. Australia secured two silver and four bronze medals, South Africa took two silver and one bronze, and Northern Ireland added one bronze.
The championships will close on Friday, August 14, through a major ceremony featuring both fencing demonstrations and cultural presentations. It will bring the event to an end after a tournament that has raised fencing’s profile across the Commonwealth.
