India Creates History, Wins Commonwealth Fencing Championship for First Time

Indian fencing reached a historic milestone at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, with India winning the Overall Championship Title after a dominant four-day campaign.

India topped the medal table with 35 medals — 13 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze — across the U-23 and Senior categories, emerging as the best-performing nation at the championship.

The highlight came on Wednesday, when Indian fencers produced a commanding performance in the six Senior Team events. India won gold in five events — Men’s Sabre, Women’s Sabre, Men’s Épée, Women’s Épée and Women’s Foil — while the men’s foil team secured silver.

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

India’s campaign began strongly in the U-23 Individual events on Day 1, with the contingent winning 17 medals — four gold, four silver and nine bronze. Nikhil Wagh completed a clean sweep of the Men’s Sabre podium, while Joys Ashita, Prachi Lohan and Jeferlin won individual golds in Women’s Foil, Women’s Épée and Women’s Sabre respectively.

The strong run continued on Day 2, when India added seven medals in the Senior Individual events — one gold, two silver and four bronze. Tanishka Khatri and Khushi Dabhade produced an Indian one-two finish in the Women’s Épée final.

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

The success was also supported by the coaching and support staff, with Bharatji Thakor, Shrihari Pise and Shankar Narayanan handling coaching duties, alongside physiotherapist Amruta Balkawade and team manager Manu Tyagi.

India’s historic performance in Lagos marks a major breakthrough for the country’s fencing programme. The overall title, Wilkinson Sword Trophy and 35-medal haul underline India’s growing presence on the Commonwealth fencing stage.

The Fencing Association of India will now look to build on the landmark achievement through continued investment in athlete development, training and international exposure as Indian fencing aims to strengthen its position among the sport’s leading nations.