President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, has written his name into Nigerian fencing history after winning a silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos.
Samuel, who was recently elected President of the Commonwealth Fencing Federation, returned to competitive action after a 13-year absence to compete in the men’s veteran sabre category at Rugby School Nigeria in Lagos.
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The Nigerian administrator produced an impressive run, winning three of his four bouts, including a victory over compatriot Tonye Sawari. His only defeat came against Wales’ Oliver Massey, who went on to claim the gold medal.
The result earned Samuel the first Commonwealth medal of his fencing career and made him the first Nigerian sabre fencer to win a medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships.
Samuel previously competed at the Commonwealth Championships in 2006 and 2010 in Australia, but narrowly missed out on medals on both occasions. His return to the piste 13 years later therefore provided an opportunity to finally achieve the feat that had eluded him during his earlier competitive career.
“I am so happy. I featured in two Commonwealth Championships in 2006 and 2010 in Australia and narrowly missed out on medals, but to finally win one as a veteran is a joy I will cherish for a long time.”
The silver was also part of a remarkable overall performance by Team Nigeria at the Lagos championships. Nigeria finished third on the medal table with one gold, three silver and 13 bronze medals, making the host nation the highest-ranked African country among the 20 participating nations.
Samuel also praised the performances of Nigeria’s younger fencers and wheelchair athletes, saying their results demonstrated the potential of fencing in the country.
As Commonwealth Fencing Federation president, Samuel has identified the return of fencing to the Commonwealth Games as one of his priorities, alongside closer cooperation between the International Fencing Federation and the Commonwealth body.
The historic silver medal therefore adds a personal milestone to what has already been a landmark Commonwealth Championships for Nigerian fencing.
