Historic moment for India, wins Commonwealth Fencing Championship for 1st time

India sealed the overall title at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship in Lagos with a 35-medal haul. The Wilkinson Sword Trophy confirms a breakthrough that could reshape the sport's ambitions in India.

In Short

• India ended the four-day campaign with 13 gold, eight silver and 14 bronze
• A dominant final day brought five senior team golds and one silver
• Day one yielded 17 U-23 medals, including four Indian individual titles

Indian fencing reached a new high at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, as the Indian contingent clinched the Overall Championship Title after an outstanding four-day campaign. India finished the competition 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 crowning moment came on Wednesday, with Indian fencers delivering a dominant display in the six Senior Team events. India won gold in five of them, taking the top prize in Men's Sabre, Women's Sabre, Men's pe, Women's pe and Women's Foil. The men's foil team added a silver to complete an impressive final day.

The performance also saw India claim the prestigious Wilkinson Sword Trophy, an award presented by the Commonwealth Fencing Federation since 1982 to the nation that produces the strongest overall results at the championship.

India's success in Lagos had been building throughout the competition. The campaign began with a superb showing in the U-23 Individual events on Day 1, where the contingent collected 17 medals — four gold, four silver and nine bronze.

Nikhil Wagh led a clean sweep of the Men's Sabre podium, while Joys Ashita in Women's Foil, Prachi Lohan in Women's pe and Jeferlin in Women's Sabre also secured individual gold medals.

The Indian contingent continued its strong run on Day 2 when the Senior Individual events got underway. Seven more medals were added to the tally, comprising one gold, two silver and four bronze. The highlight was the Women's pe final, where Tanishka Khatri and Khushi Dabhade finished first and second to complete an Indian gold-silver combination.

Day 3 produced another five medals for India, including three gold, one silver and one bronze. Kanaglakshmi won the Senior Women's Foil title, while Rajendran Shanthimol Sherjin emerged victorious in Senior Men's pe. Singh Karan Singh added another gold for India in Senior Men's Sabre.

The medal-winning campaign was supported by a team of coaches and staff who played a key role throughout the championship. Coaches Bharatji Thakor, Shrihari Pise and Shankar Narayanan, physiotherapist Amruta Balkawade and team manager Manu Tyagi worked alongside the fencers, overseeing preparation, tactical planning, recovery and the logistical demands of the competition.

The historic showing in Lagos represents a significant milestone for Indian fencing. With the Wilkinson Sword Trophy now in their possession and a record-breaking medal haul to their name, the Indian team has underlined its growing stature on the Commonwealth stage.

The Fencing Association of India will now look to build on the breakthrough performance by continuing to invest in training, athlete development and international exposure as India seeks to establish itself among the leading fencing nations.

- Ends