The President of the Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF), Marie-France Dufour, says Nigeria secured the right to host the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships after submitting a strong bid.

Ms Dufour said on Wednesday that the championships would take place in Lagos from August 9 to August 19.

She said Commonwealth Sport entrusted the CFF with selecting the host nation, with Nigeria emerging successful after a thorough assessment of bids.

“The CFF has a strong relationship with Commonwealth Sport, which trusts our selection process.

“Nigeria’s bid was chosen through this process and reflected the values of the Commonwealth,” she said.

Ms Dufour said the federation was confident in Nigeria’s ability to stage a successful championship.

“Although this is the first Senior Commonwealth Fencing Championships to be held in Africa, we had a successful experience when South Africa hosted the Junior Championships in 2015. This gave us confidence that Nigeria can also deliver a successful event,” she said.

According to her, the CFF board carefully evaluated all submissions before selecting Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s bid demonstrated its ability to meet our requirements. After reviewing the applications, the board agreed that Nigeria’s proposal was the strongest,” she said.

Ms Dufour expressed satisfaction with the growth of fencing across many Commonwealth nations, particularly in Africa.

“We are pleased to see more African countries participating in our competitions. The growth of facilities and resources across the continent has increased diversity and representation within the federation,” she said.

She said the CFF had worked closely with the local organising committee to ensure a successful championship.

“Our technical committee has held about 20 virtual meetings with the organisers and also conducted a technical inspection visit. We are providing support where needed, including in parafencing,” she said.

Ms Dufour added that venues, equipment and officials had been assessed to ensure compliance with international standards.

She said 16 countries were expected to participate in the championships.

According to her, hosting the event would provide Nigeria with valuable experience in organising major international sporting competitions.

“Nigeria will gain important experience from hosting an event of this scale. It will also strengthen the country’s capacity to host more international competitions in the future,” she said.

On parafencing, Ms Dufour said it was first introduced as a demonstration sport at the 2022 championships in London.

She said the initiative received positive feedback from athletes and stakeholders.

“Commonwealth Sport encouraged us to expand the competition, leading to the full inclusion of para fencing in 2026. We are excited by the strong interest shown by African para-fencers,” she said.

Ms Dufour expressed optimism that the Lagos championships would further promote fencing across the Commonwealth.

She said the event would leave a lasting legacy for the sport in Africa.

Commonwealth Fencing Championships are held every four years, alongside the Commonwealth Games cycle.

The championships are sanctioned by Commonwealth Sport, formerly known as the Commonwealth Games Federation.

(NAN)