Kenyan Kiara strikes gold at African Junior Fencing Championships

Kenyan teen Kinoti Kiara gave the country a moment to celebrate after fighting his way to the top of the podium at the African Cadet and Junior Fencing Championships staged in Dakar, Senegal.

Competing against some of the continent's most promising young fencers, Kiara handled the pressure with impressive calm. He fenced with discipline, stayed sharp in defence, and attacked only when the timing felt right.

As the competition progressed and the stakes rose, the Kenyan maintained his focus, edging through tight bouts to secure the title and hand Kenya a significant continental success in the sport.

Egypt's Hamza Abuhalwa finished second after a strong campaign that carried him into the final stages, while Morocco's Mohamed El Bounjaimi and Togo's Ilan Tchaa Arou rounded off the medal positions following hard fought semi final appearances.

The victory is being viewed as an encouraging step for the growth of fencing in Kenya, a sport that continues to build its player base and competitive exposure.

Fred Chege, the president of the Kenya Fencing Federation, welcomed the achievement as a reward for the steady effort being put into athlete development and technical preparation.

For upcoming fencers across the country, the result offers a clear message that continental success is possible. For the federation, it strengthens belief that Kenyan athletes can consistently challenge the traditional heavyweights in African fencing.

Focus now shifts fully to efforts to support more talents in the sport to have many more of the likes of Kiara to ensure Kenya builds on this Dakar breakthrough to stamp its name on many other continental fencing competitions.