Patricia Aiyenuro is the President of British Fencing and an Executive Committee Member of the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (FIE). She made history as the first black woman to head a national sports association in Europe, she spoke about the forthcoming Commonwealth Championships taking place in Lagos cum the gains of staging the tournament for Nigeria Fencing Federation
How excited are you about the staging of this year’s Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Lagos?
I am genuinely excited to see the Commonwealth Fencing Championships taking place in Lagos. It’s an important milestone, not just for Nigeria but for fencing across the Commonwealth. Hosting major championships in different regions helps broaden the sport’s reach, creates new opportunities for athletes, and demonstrates that world-class events can be successfully delivered beyond the traditional hosting nations.
The Championships are always about more than medals—they are an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our fencing community and strengthen relationships between member nations.
Having participated in previous tournaments hosted in Nigeria, do you believe the Nigeria Fencing Federation has now acquired the experience needed to successfully stage an event of this magnitude?
