President of British Fencing, Pat Aiyenuro, has predicted a wider distribution of medals at the upcoming Commonwealth Fencing Federation Championships in Lagos, signaling the end of an era of dominance by a single nation.
The tournament, scheduled for August 9–14, will mark a historic milestone as Nigeria becomes the first African country to host the senior event. The venue, Rugby School in Atlantic City, Lagos, will welcome fencers, officials, and leaders of the Commonwealth Fencing Federation.
At the last Senior Commonwealth Fencing Federation Championships in London in 2022, England topped the medal table with 57 medals (22 gold, 10 silver, and 25 bronze). While acknowledging England’s long-standing strength, Aiyenuro — who also serves on the Executive Committee of the International Fencing Federation (FIE) — believes the growing competitiveness across Commonwealth nations will prevent any single-country dominance this year.
“England has consistently been one of the strongest nations in Commonwealth fencing because of the depth of its athlete pathway and the strength of its domestic competition. I expect England to be highly competitive once again,” she said.
“However, other Commonwealth countries are now just as competitive. I think this year there will be more spread of medals across all nations. Countries such as India, Jamaica, Wales, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Singapore, Mauritius, Kenya, and host nation Nigeria have all invested in developing their programmes. I anticipate very competitive contests across all three weapons, and no team can take success for granted.”
Aiyenuro expressed particular admiration for the Nigeria Fencing Federation, which has made significant strides in hosting major tournaments over the past five years.
She emphasized the broader impact of staging an event of this scale: “Hosting an event of this magnitude provides lasting benefits. For fencing, it increases visibility, strengthens coaching and officiating standards, and creates opportunities to develop volunteers and event organisers. Beyond fencing, it demonstrates Nigeria’s ability to host major international sporting events, boosting confidence among federations and investors. It also delivers economic benefits through tourism and showcases Nigeria to the wider Commonwealth sporting family. Perhaps most importantly, it inspires young athletes by giving them the chance to witness elite competition on home soil.”
