Defending champion Mohamed El-Sayed successfully retained his title in the men’s individual Epee event at the 23rd African Fencing Championships, on Wednesday, at Charterhouse Lagos, Afrosport reports.
World No. 1 El-Sayed edged fellow Egyptian Mahmoud Had Mohsen in a tightly contested final, winning 11–10 to become the first gold medallist of the tournament.
El-Sayed cruised through the early rounds with dominant performances, but faced a stern test in the semifinals, where he narrowly defeated his brother, Mahmoud El-Sayed, 15–14 in a thrilling bout.
In the women’s foil category, second seed Sara Amr captured her first African title with a commanding 15–8 victory over Isabel Esteban of Cote d’Ivoire in the final. Amr had earlier overcome her compatriot and 2024 bronze medallist, Noha Hany, 15–13 in the semifinals.
Esteban, who caused a major upset by defeating top seed Malak Hamza of Egypt 15–8 in the other semifinal, settled for silver after falling short against Amr in the final.
Speaking after her victory, a jubilant Amr said she remained composed throughout the competition despite facing tough opponents.
“I focused on staying calm and managing each match one at a time. It wasn’t easy, but I’m proud of how I handled the pressure,” she said.
