FENCING
British fencer Akinyosoye switches allegiance to Nigeria
British fencer Folayemi Akinyosoye has recently pledged his allegiance to Nigeria, leaving behind his representation of Great Britain.
Akinyosoye, who has been a prominent figure in British junior fencing for the past six years, made this decision as fencing gains momentum in Nigeria.
In an acceptance letter dated August 1, 2024, and signed by British Fencing CEO Georgina Usher, Akinyosoye was exempted from the usual three-year non-compete period.
The letter stated, “Following FIE regulations 1.4.3, this letter is from the former federation (Great Britain) accepting the transfer request and agreeing to waive the 3-year non-compete period.”
It further confirmed, “On behalf of British Fencing, I write to confirm that British Fencing has no objection to the athlete (Folayemi Akinyosoye) changing their FIE nationality and that we waive any non-compete period.”
The 20-year-old fencer expressed his excitement about the switch, saying, “I would like to represent Nigeria because of my personal connections to Nigeria it’s where my family roots originate, so there is desire to contribute to the development of the sport which is in its early stages stage in Nigeria.
“I also hope that representing Nigeria might provide a unique platform to promote the Sabre Fencing and inspire other young Nigerians to take an interest in the sport.”
He added: “I am very excited to represent Nigeria and cannot wait to work with the Nigerian fencing federation to bring my fencing to the next level.”
Akinyosoye also shared his optimism about Nigeria’s potential to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games.
Adeyinka Samuel, President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, welcomed Akinyosoye’s decision, highlights the positive impact on the sport’s development in Nigeria.
“We are so excited that the work we have done in the last few years is yielding positive results with the decision by Akinyosoye to fence for Nigeria.
“This again shows that we are doing something right to improve the fortune of the sport, and we hope that we can have a strong team that will compete for places at the 2028 Olympic Games.
“We can’t wait to have him represent Nigeria in an international tournament and mix up with others already in the team,” Samuel said.
Following the provisional hosting rights granted to Nigeria a few months ago, the Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF) has formally awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships to the Nigeria Fencing Federation (NFF) ahead of Australia. This makes Nigeria the first sub-Saharan nation to stage the tournament.
In a letter issued on Thursday, March 27, signed by CFF President Marie-France Dufour and addressed to all member nations, it was resolved by a majority decision of the Board to award the hosting rights to Nigeria after reviewing the Technical Committee’s report.
The letter stated, “As most of you are no doubt aware, the CFF received bids from
two prospective hosts for the upcoming 2026 CFF Senior-Veteran
Championships.
“After some discussion, it was resolved, by a majority decision of the Board, to provisionally award the event to the Nigerian Fencing Federation, subject to their addressing certain shortcomings identified in their original bid.”
The statement added, “This additional information was submitted to the CFF Technical Committee and reviewed at their meeting on March 19, 2025.
The committee delivered its recommendations to the Board, and these were discussed at the CFF Board meeting of March 27, 2025, after which it was agreed, by majority decision of the Board, to formally award the 2026 CFF Senior-Veteran Championships to the Nigerian Fencing Federation.
The CFF congratulates the Nigerian Fencing Federation on being named host of these championships and wishes them every success in this endeavour.”
An elated President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, described the trust reposed in Nigeria as a major boost to the fortunes of fencing in the country.
He, however, appealed for more support from both the public and private sectors for the sport.
“We bid for the hosting rights alongside Australia, and nobody ever gave us a chance to win. But after observing us host the Fencing World Cup in 2024, the CFF was convinced that we are ready to host any world-class tournament.
“I must acknowledge that this would not have been possible without the support of well-meaning individuals, Charter House Lagos, and my board members. With what we have achieved in the last year, the world is now looking towards Nigeria as a nation with the potential to produce champions and host top-class events.
“We are humbled by this honour to host the prestigious tournament, and we will start working towards hosting a befitting tournament. We intend to use this year’s African Senior Championships and the World Cup as tests for the Commonwealth Championships in 2026,” he said.
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Nigeria made history by being awarded the hosting rights for 2026 Commonwealth Senior and Veterans Fencing Championships. It will be the first African country to host this prestigious event.
The Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF) conditionally approved Nigeria’s bid, with certain conditions to be met for the 2026 tournament.
This achievement follows Nigeria’s successful hosting of the Fencing World Cup last year, the first time a Sub-Saharan African country hosted such an event. Over 10 countries participated in the World Cup, which Charter House Lagos hosted, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia dominating.
Adeyinka Samuel, President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, expressed his delight, stating, “We competed against Australia, a nation that has hosted the Commonwealth Championships three times and is among the most experienced globally. This achievement reflects the strength of our bid and Nigeria’s growing respect on the international stage.”
He added, “Over 10 months, every aspect of our bid underwent thorough review, culminating in December’s final technical visit during our successful hosting of a Fencing World Cup. This event will likely be the largest in Nigeria’s sporting history, with an estimated 600+ athletes from over 30 countries.”
Samuel continued, “This is the biggest news for the Nigerian fencing community. Hosting such a prestigious tournament allows us to compete with some of the best fencing nations in the Commonwealth.
“We are thrilled and motivated to continue growing and popularising the sport.
Our efforts during the last World Cup showed we could host this tournament.
“The management of Charter House has pledged their full support, and we will seek more private sector backing to ensure a successful event. Hosting this tournament will also help our fencers compete with the best in the world as they aim to secure tickets to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.”
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The President of the British Fencing Federation, Pat Aiyenuro, has
pledged her federation’s technical support to the Nigerian Fencing Federation, marking the beginning of a collaboration between the two nations.
Impressed with the organization of the first fencing World Cup in Sub-Saharan Africa, Aiyenuro noted that assembling some of the world’s best fencers in Lagos confirms Nigeria’s growing status in the sport.
She assured that British Fencing would partner with Nigeria to train its personnel, including coaches and referees, to be technically on par with the rest of the world.
“I think we are privileged to have some of the top fencing nations come here and compete. We have a world champion here, which shows that they believe in Nigeria’s ability to host a top-tier competition. I’m impressed; the quality of the fencing is world-class.
“We are already working on a collaboration with the Nigeria Fencing Federation to train more referees and coaches. There is potential here, and the federation is forward-thinking, trying to make these things happen,” she said.
For 17-year-old Oluwashemilore Fashola, competing against some of the best fencers in the world has boosted his confidence ahead of future international tournaments.
“I’m very excited and proud of Nigeria for securing the hosting rights for this competition. It’s a great experience, especially since it’s my first. I’ve met many fencers, and they can see how far Nigeria has come in the sport.
“Currently, I’m very impressed by the level of competition. All the other countries brought their best fencers to participate. Even though fencing isn’t very popular here, and many of us haven’t been doing it for long or consistently, we have still managed to go far. It’s a significant achievement since we were up against some of the best in the world.
“What we can do to improve is to participate in more competitions and keep facing these top fencers. We also need to continue training diligently,” he added.
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