India Make History, Clinch Commonwealth Fencing Championship for First Time

India created history at the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Lagos, Nigeria, clinching the Overall Championship Title for the first time after a dominant four-day campaign.

The Indian contingent finished with an impressive 35 medals — 13 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze — across the U-23 and Senior categories, emerging as the championship’s top-performing nation. India capped its campaign with a stunning display in the six Senior Team events on Wednesday, winning gold in five. The Indian teams triumphed in Men’s Sabre, Women’s Sabre, Men’s Épée, Women’s Épée and Women’s Foil, while the Men’s Foil team claimed silver.

India’s overall dominance also earned it the prestigious Wilkinson Sword Trophy, awarded by the Commonwealth Fencing Federation since 1982 to the nation with the best overall performance at the championship.

The campaign got off to a strong start on Day 1, with India winning 17 medals in the U-23 Individual events. The haul included four golds, four silvers and nine bronze medals. Nikhil Wagh led an Indian clean sweep of the Men’s Sabre podium, while Joys Ashita, Prachi Lohan and Jeferlin won gold in Women’s Foil, Women’s Épée and Women’s Sabre respectively.

India added seven more medals on Day 2 in the Senior Individual events, including one gold, two silver and four bronze. Tanishka Khatri and Khushi Dabhade secured a memorable one-two finish in the Women’s Épée final.

Day 3 brought another five medals, including three golds. Kanaglakshmi won the Senior Women’s Foil title, Rajendran Shanthimol Sherjin claimed gold in Senior Men’s Épée, and Singh Karan Singh triumphed in Senior Men’s Sabre.

The achievement was backed by the efforts of India’s coaching and support staff, including coaches Bharatji Thakor, Shrihari Pise and Shankar Narayanan, physiotherapist Amruta Balkawade and team manager Manu Tyagi.

India’s historic triumph in Lagos marks a significant step forward for the country’s fencing programme. The Overall Championship Title, Wilkinson Sword Trophy and 35-medal haul underline India’s growing stature in Commonwealth fencing and provide a major boost ahead of future international competitions.