Idongesit Brothers Set for Fencing Junior World Cup in Uzbekistan

Nigeria’s rising fencing stars, Mahadi and Mahathir Idongesit, are set to compete among 60 athletes at this weekend’s International Fencing Federation (FIE) Junior Epee World Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The tournament, initially scheduled to take place in Lagos, was moved to Uzbekistan after the Nigeria Fencing Federation decided to focus its resources on hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Championships.

The Idongesit brothers, who made their international debut at the 2025 African Championships in Lagos, are eager to test themselves against some of the world’s top competitors. Mahadi is currently ranked 595th globally, while Mahathir holds the 608th spot. They will face strong opponents, including Egyptian stars Youssef Shamel (world No. 4) and Eslam Osama (world No. 8).

Fencers from Azerbaijan, Egypt, Greece, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Chinese Taipei, and host nation Uzbekistan will also participate in the event.

Adeyinka Samuel, President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, expressed optimism about the brothers’ participation:
“We are excited that our fencers are back in action after months of inactivity, especially with the return of international tournaments. This experience will be invaluable as they prepare for the Commonwealth Championships in 2026. We hope more of our fencers take part in high-level competitions to measure themselves against the best in the Commonwealth.”