Nigeria wins bid to host 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships
The Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF) has awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships to the Nigeria Fencing Federation (NFF), making Nigeria the first sub-Saharan nation to stage the tournament.
In a letter dated March 27, signed by CFF President Marie-France Dufour and addressed to all member nations, the decision was made by a majority vote of the Board 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.”
It further noted that additional information was submitted to the CFF Technical Committee and reviewed at their meeting on March 19, 2025. Their recommendations were discussed at the CFF Board meeting on March 27, 2025, where a majority decision was reached to officially award the hosting rights to Nigeria.
Reacting to the announcement, President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, described the development as a significant milestone for the sport in the country.
He also called for more support from both the public and private sectors, stating, “We submitted the 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.”
