Egypt continued its stranglehold at the 23rd African Fencing Championships held at Charterhouse, Lagos, sweeping five of the six individual gold medals up for grabs . The powerhouse team added to its impressive haul on Friday as Abdelrahman Tolba triumphed in men’s foil and Alanoud Hegazy claimed her maiden title in women’s sabre .
Tolba’s victory was especially sweet. The foil specialist—who earned bronze in 2023 and silver in 2024—overcame reigning champion Mohamed Hamza 15-10, completing his progression to continental gold . He had earlier dispatched Cape Verde’s Victor Alvares 15‑4 in the semis. Reflecting on his journey, Tolba said, “hard work pays off… starting with bronze in 2023, then silver in 2024, and now gold” .
In the women’s sabre, Hegazy secured a compelling 15-8 win over 2024 bronze medallist Nada Hafez. She vanquished tough opposition en route, including a 15‑10 quarterfinal over defending champion Lorina Essomba of Cameroon and a 15‑9 semifinal triumph against Algeria’s Chaima Benadouda . Hegazy shared her delight: “This is a big moment…I hope to keep performing well in major competitions like this” .
The only gold not claimed by Egypt came in the women’s épée, courtesy of Kenya’s Alexandra Ndolo, who upset Shirwit Gaber of Egypt 15-8 in the final .
With individual events wrapped, attention now shifts to the team competitions—scheduled for today and culminating on June 29—where Egypt aims to cement its continental dominance .
