Lagos, 10 August (H.S.): The Indian contingent made an impressive start to the Commonwealth U-23 Fencing Championships, winning 17 medals on the opening day. Indian fencers claimed four gold, four silver and nine bronze medals across the men’s and women’s individual events, marking one of the country’s strongest-ever performances on the international fencing stage.

The championship began on August 9 and will continue until August 14.

Indian fencers made their presence felt across all categories, with at least one Indian athlete winning a medal in each of the six individual events across sabre, foil and épée.

In the men’s sabre, India produced a clean sweep of the podium. Nikhil Wagh won the gold medal, while Lakshya Badsar secured silver. Ashwini Arya and Laishram Moramba completed the sweep by winning bronze medals.

In the men’s foil, Tejas Patil claimed the silver medal, while his compatriot Hemash Sanasam won bronze. England’s Oliver took the gold.

In the men’s épée, Lokesh Vemani won silver, while Shaurya Ashwini and Godwin Anbakes secured bronze medals. Nigeria’s Thompson won the gold medal.

Women’s events also saw strong Indian performances

Indian fencers continued their dominance in the women’s events. In the women’s foil, Joyce Ashitha won the gold medal, while fellow Indian Kanagalakshmi took silver.

Prachi Lohan secured the gold medal in the women’s épée, with Nivedya Nair and Anupriya winning bronze medals.

In the women’s sabre, Jeferlin claimed gold and Akhari won silver, while Shreya Gupta secured the bronze medal.

Strong foundation for the future

Fencing Association of India Secretary General Rajiv Mehta congratulated the Indian athletes, coaches, support staff and families for the contingent’s impressive performance.

In a statement, Mehta said, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the medal winners, coaches, support staff and families. Their sustained hard work and contribution have been instrumental in India’s outstanding performance. Our objective is to provide young Indian fencers with greater opportunities to compete internationally and prepare them for the senior circuit and major championships. These achievements are an important step towards building a stronger and more competitive team for the future.”

The Fencing Association of India also reiterated its commitment to nurturing young talent and providing emerging fencers with greater exposure at international competitions.

India’s impressive opening-day performance has strengthened its position as a formidable force in international fencing and provided an encouraging platform for the country’s next generation of fencers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar