Idongesit Siblings Begin 2026 With Fencing Junior World Cup in Egypt
As two of Africa’s most active fencers in 2025, the Idongesit siblings, Sara and Mahathir, will open their 2026 season at the FIE Junior World Cup taking place in Cairo, Egypt, from January 30 to 31.
Their participation highlights the progress of youth fencing in Nigeria and underscores the continued efforts of the Nigeria Fencing Federation to identify, nurture, and promote young talent internationally.
Sara and Mahathir have demonstrated remarkable commitment, discipline, and growth in their fencing journey, earning the opportunity to compete at this prestigious event against some of the world’s best, including World No. 1 junior men’s fencer Schembri Kruz of the Virgin Islands.
The Nigerian two-athlete contingent will depart on Sunday, January 25, and are expected to join the FIE-organised training camp under the supervision of top coaches at the Indoor Hall of Cairo Stadium.
Sara will compete in the women’s junior category, while Mahathir faces stiff competition in the men’s event against elite opponents such as Kruz, World No. 5 Chen Bing-Jyun of Chinese Taipei, World No. 3 Pelle Domonkos of Hungary, and Africa’s No. 1 Shamel Youssef of Egypt, who is also ranked World No. 6.
Based in Malaysia, the Idongesit siblings made their international debut for Nigeria at the 2025 African Championships in Lagos.
Since then, they have featured in several international tournaments, gaining valuable experience ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Championships, scheduled to take place in Lagos this August.
Over 30 countries will participate in the two-day FIE-sanctioned tournament, including Egypt (host), Algeria, Russia, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Spain, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Mexico, Mauritius, Nigeria, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Switzerland, Slovakia, Chinese Taipei, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States.
