Nigeria has been awarded the right to host the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championship Sports247 reports.
The Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF) granted the hosting rights to Nigeria, surpassing Australia, making Nigeria the first sub-Saharan nation to host the prestigious event.
Read Also: Team Ondo Becomes First Arrival for Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo
This decision was confirmed in a letter issued on Thursday, March 27, signed by CFF President Marie-France Dufour, and addressed to all member nations.
Following a review of the Technical Committee’s report, the CFF Board made a majority decision to award the hosting rights to Nigeria.
The letter noted, “As most of you are aware, the CFF received bids from two prospective hosts for the upcoming 2026 CFF Senior-Veteran Championships. After discussions, the Board, by a majority vote, decided to provisionally award the event to the Nigerian Fencing Federation, contingent on addressing certain shortcomings identified in their initial bid.”
The statement continued, “The additional information was submitted to the CFF Technical Committee and reviewed at their meeting on March 19, 2025.
” The committee provided recommendations to the Board, which were discussed at the CFF Board meeting on March 27, 2025. Following that, the Board, by a majority vote, formally awarded the 2026 CFF Senior-Veteran Championships to the Nigerian Fencing Federation.”
The CFF congratulated the Nigerian Fencing Federation and wished them success in hosting the championships.
An excited President of the Nigerian Fencing Federation (NFF), Adeyinka Samuel, expressed that the trust placed in Nigeria is a significant boost for the country’s fencing prospects. However, he called for greater support from both public and private sectors for the sport.
“We bid for the hosting rights alongside Australia, and no one thought we stood a chance. But after our successful hosting of the Fencing World Cup in 2024, the CFF was convinced we are capable of hosting world-class events,” he said.
“I must acknowledge that this achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the support of dedicated individuals, Charter House Lagos, and my board members. With what we’ve accomplished in the past year, the world now looks to Nigeria as a nation capable of producing champions and hosting top-tier events.”
“We are truly humbled by the opportunity to host this prestigious tournament, and we will begin preparations immediately.”
” Our goal is to make this a tournament befitting the Commonwealth. We plan to use this year’s African Senior Championships and the World Cup as test events for the Commonwealth Championships in 2026,” he added
