Uganda sends two fencers to World Championships in Hong Kong

A two-member team, captained by Edward Isooba alongside Phiona Kasuswa, has departed for Hong Kong after being flagged off by National Council of Sports (NCS) Assistant General Secretary in charge of technical matters, Milton Chebet, accompanied by senior sports administrator Sarah Chelangat.

The duo's participation marks some of the initial steps for Uganda's qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The pair will compete in the annual 2026 World Senior Fencing Championships, scheduled for July 22–30 at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong.

The championship marks the first international competition of the year for the Uganda Fencing Association (UFA). According to UFA General Secretary Cuthbert Onyango, the event is a crucial step in earning qualification points towards the 2028 Olympic Games.

"This is the first time our two athletes are competing at a world-class championship, but we are confident they will perform well based on the training they have undergone," said Onyango, who is also a fencing master and coach.

The two athletes, both from Iseroma Fencing Club in Lugogo, will compete in the senior Épée category, a weapon discipline in which valid touches can be scored on any part of the opponent's body.

Onyango revealed that financial constraints prevented the association from sending a full team or accompanying officials.

"A team consists of four athletes, with three scoring points during a competition, but due to limited resources, we could only afford to send two athletes for the individual events and no officials," he explained.

Fencing is a combative sport where two opponents use swords to score points, called "touches," by striking designated target areas on the body. The swords have electronic attachments that synchronize with the combat gear to electronically record every touch for every score.

Bouts take place on a narrow strip called a piste and feature one of three weapon types: Foil, Épée, or Sabre, with matches lasting until someone scores 15 points.

While flagging off the team, Chebet encouraged the athletes to represent the country with distinction in one of the world's oldest Olympic sports. He also urged the federation to expand the sport across Uganda in line with the country's new sports policy.

"You need to comply with the new National Sports Act to attain full certification. Endeavour to make fencing one of the 15 priority sports the government wants introduced in each school across the country, and take advantage of the sports infrastructure the government is putting in place," Chebet said.

More than 10 African countries, including Rwanda, Kenya, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, and South Africa, are expected to compete at the championships.