CAIRO — Egypt’s fencing team delivered a commanding performance at the 2024 African Fencing Championships in Lagos, topping the medal table with a staggering 21 medals, including 11 golds, 5 silvers, and 5 bronzes, reaffirming their continental dominance.
The final day of competition saw Egypt add three more golds to their tally, as the men’s foil team outclassed Angola in the final, while the women’s sabre team overpowered Algeria to secure the top spot.
The women’s epee team also clinched gold, defeating Algeria in the final to complete a clean sweep of all team gold medals, a remarkable achievement that underscored Egypt’s supremacy.
Minister lauds champs
Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhi congratulated the Egyptian Fencing Federation and its athletes, praising the team’s success as evidence of the strategic development in Egyptian sports under the country’s political leadership.
“This achievement reflects the leap Egyptian sports is witnessing, and the ministry remains fully committed to supporting national federations in their journey toward further international success,” the minister said.
Sobhi reaffirmed support for preparations targeting the 2028 Olympic Games, aligning with Egypt’s broader sporting vision.
Tourney standouts
The men’s foil team featured Mohamed Hamza, Abdelrahman Talaba, Saif El-Ghaish, and Karim Medhat, while the women’s sabre team included Nardin Ihab, Aya Sherif, Sherwat Gaber, and Lulwa Suleiman.
The women’s epee squad was composed of Nada Hafiz, Nagwa Nofal, Renad El-Daksh, and Al-Anoud Hazem.
Earlier in the team events, Egypt had secured three gold medals on Day 1, led by the men’s sabre team, who edged Tunisia 45–41, and the women’s foil team, who beat Tunisia 45–39. The men’s foil team added a third gold with a 45–26 victory over South Africa.
Individual brilliance
In the individual events, Mohamed El-Sayed captured gold in men’s foil, defeating teammate Mahmoud Mohsen, who claimed silver. El-Sayed also earned bronze after a semi-final finish.
In the women’s foil, Sara Hosny struck gold, while Malak Hamza and Noha Hany took bronze.
In the men’s Sabre, Abdelrahman Talaba took gold after beating Mohamed Hamza in an all-Egyptian final.
Junior fencers reign
Egypt’s youth fencing team, meanwhile, maintained the nation’s continental dominance at the African Fencing Championships for Juniors and Cadets (U15, U17, and U20) in Angola, finishing atop the medal standings with an impressive 39 medals: 21 golds, 9 silvers, and 9 bronzes.
Under-20 success
Egypt launched its medal campaign in the Under-20 category in dominant fashion, amassing 25 medals across individual and team events—11 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze.
Gold medals came courtesy of Mahmoud El-Sayed and Salma El-Sheikh in individual foil, along with victories by the junior men’s and women’s foil teams.
Jana Ehab and Abdelrahman Talaba struck gold in individual Sabre, joined by the junior men’s and women’s Sabre squads who topped the team podiums.
Further golds were earned by Yassin Khedr and Khadija Aboualam in individual epee, with the junior epee team completing Egypt’s golden run.
Silver medals were claimed by Youssef Shamel, Farah Mahfouz, Sara Amr, Omar Youssef, Ahmed Hisham, Reinad El-Daksh, and the junior women’s epee team.
Bronze medals were picked up by Youssef Mahrous, Islam Osama, Hanaa Al-Iraqi, Farida Mourad, Adham Shalaby, Anan Hegazy, and Nagwa Nofal.
Under-17 dominance
Egypt’s momentum carried into the Under-17 competitions, where the national team secured 12 more medals—8 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze.
Individual golds were claimed by Youssef Mahrous in foil, and Omar Khaled and Sara Amr in epee, while the youth and junior foil teams dominated their events.
Silver medals were claimed by Younes El-Ibrachy and Fatima Wahba in foil, while Nagwa Nofal and Anan Hegazy secured bronze in the sabre events, further contributing to Egypt’s all-round dominance at the continental level.
Under-15 prospects shine
Egypt rounded off its campaign in the Under-15 events with two additional gold medals, as Shadia Ahmed triumphed in foil and Anan Hegazy clinched gold in sabre.
These final victories sealed Egypt’s commanding presence across all age categories at the African Fencing Championships, underscoring the depth of talent in the national ranks and the effectiveness of the country’s long-term development programs.
