Namibian fencers delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 Easter Club Challenge held on 28 March 2026 in Gaborone, Botswana, bringing home three bronze medals.

The competition, hosted by Thobega Fencing Academy, featured multiple age categories, including cadet, junior, and senior events and brought together fencers from across the region.

With over 20 fencers competing and participation from multiple clubs and national-level athletes, the event provided strong regional competition and a valuable benchmark for Namibian fencing.

Coach Dillon Kotze competed in the senior men’s Épée category, securing a bronze medal after a tightly contested semi-final, narrowly losing 15–14 to the eventual gold medallist. A standout performance came from Sebastian Botha, who was competing in his first international competition and earned two bronze medals in both the junior and cadet Épée events.

The results reflect ongoing efforts to rebuild and strengthen fencing in Namibia following the impact of the Covid-19 period.

Speaking to New Era, Kotze said the team delivered a very strong performance, with several experienced fencers.

“Winning a medal in every event we competed in, while Namibian fencing is still in a rebuilding phase, shows good signs for the standard of fencing in Namibia,” said Kotze.

According to Kotze, the Namibian Fencing Federation plans to host a local competition at the end of April 2026 in Windhoek, in collaboration with Namibian Para Fencing, as they work towards rebuilding the sport to its pre-COVID level and size.

“Once that foundation is re-established, we aim to expand into schools and introduce fencing across more regions in Namibia, focusing on grassroots development, school programmes, and increased local and international competitions,” Kotze explained. -hnalupe@nepc.com.na