India tops the medal standings at the ongoing Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos with five gold medals as wheelchair fencing debuts as a medal event, www.aclsports.com reports.
The championships continued at Rugby School Nigeria in Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos, with athletes from across the Commonwealth competing for honours in the first edition of the tournament to be hosted by Nigeria.
India has emerged as the leading nation so far, amassing five gold, seven silver and 12 bronze medals from the events concluded to date. England sits second on the standings with two gold medals, alongside one silver and five bronze medals.
Cyprus and hosts Nigeria have also recorded gold-medal successes at the championships. Nigeria’s historic moment came through Oghenegaren Esiovwa-Thompson, who won the men’s U-23 épée title to secure the country’s first-ever gold medal at the competition.
Australia is also among the leading nations after collecting one silver and one bronze medal.
A major milestone was reached on the third day of competition as wheelchair fencing made its debut as an official medal event. The discipline previously appeared as a demonstration sport at the 2022 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in London before being added to the medal programme in Lagos.
Nigeria is hosting the championships for the first time and has entered a 12-member team comprising six men and six women. The home athletes have competed against fencers from established nations including India, England, South Africa, Australia and Cyprus.
Beyond the action on the piste, athletes have praised the organisation of the event, with several delegations commending the Local Organising Committee for the smooth handling of accreditation and logistics.
England’s Bethany Brierley, who won gold in the women’s sabre event, expressed her delight with the experience in Lagos and highlighted the enthusiasm of the country’s young fencers.
“I am enjoying myself in Lagos because the environment is inspiring and the people are very friendly. The enthusiasm of the young Nigerian fencers shows they are working hard to raise the profile of the sport as a developing nation.”
With more medals still to be decided, the championships continue to showcase the growth of fencing across the Commonwealth while providing Nigeria with a platform to host one of the sport’s premier events in the region.
