Fencing: Brou targets African glory, 2028 Olympics ticket
Nigeria fencing prodigy Inkosi Brou is determined to propel his journey towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics by claiming medals at major championships in Africa and globally this year, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
Currently ranked 23rd in the world junior ranking and 64th globally, Brou has also been attending several tournaments and amassing points to improve his world ranking since the start of the current fencing season in September 2024.
The 17-year-old is the second highest-ranked African fencer at the junior level and he is determined to become the first Nigerian to compete in fencing at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028.
“My main target in 2025 is to make the podium and get a medal at the African Junior Championships in Angola, as well as achieve another top-eight result in the African Senior Championships. I hope to also get a great result at the upcoming Junior World Championships in China. Overall, I view 2025 as another step in my Olympic journey, and I am very excited for what this New Year holds in store for my fencing career,” the fencer said.
“When I started fencing internationally for Nigeria in October 2023, I did not even have an international junior ranking. To have improved so drastically has been an amazing journey and I fully believe in my plan of eventually making the 2028 Olympics. This amazing ranking is just the first step in the long journey to the Olympic Games that I hope to undertake. I would like to thank all of my amazing coaches for the work they put into improving my fencing every single day,” he said.
Since the start of the fencing season in September 2024, Brou has competed in seven major tournaments worldwide. His most notable achievement so far is finishing 10th among 216 fencers at the 2024 World Cup in Colombia.
“As a fencer whose ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, I am going to use my experience competing across the globe to adapt to the constant travelling that a high-level fencer must undergo. My LA2028 Olympic goal is helping me organize my life, as my eyes are firmly on the prize. I understand that being an Olympian is a privilege and that I need to improve quite a lot to reach that goal, but I fundamentally believe I can achieve it through sheer focus and dedication.”
Brou is the grandson of the former Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili.
He is the first Nigerian to be selected for the prestigious All-American Fencing First Team, an elite group comprising top college fencers from across the United States.
In September 2024, he also won the country’s first-ever medal in the sabre category at the World Tournoi Satellite Cup in Iceland.
