LAUSANNE, Switz., April 24, 2021—The Fencing Zonal Qualifying Event for Africa has finished in Cairo, including six individual events that took place on April 23 for men and women in epee, foil and sabre. The winners of each event were Mohamed Elsayed (EGY, men’s epee), Ndeye Binta Diongue (SEN, women’s epee), Salim Heroui (ALG, men’s foil), Meriem Mebarki (ALG, women’s foil), Akram Bounabi (ALG, men’s sabre) and Kaouther Mohamed Belkebir (ALG, women’s sabre). The competition took place at the Sonesta Hotel Tower and Casino Cairo.
In men’s epee, Egypt’s Mohamed Elsayed won against Mali’s Keletigui Julien Diabate in the final match, 15-7. In the semifinal, Diabate beat Libya’s Khaled Buhdeima, 15-9, while Elsayed beat Ivory Coast’s Bedi Paul Alex Beugre, 15-10.
In women’s epee, Senegal’s Ndeye Binta Dongue won against South Africa’s Juliana Barrett in the final match, 15-9. In the semifinal, Barrett beat Morocco’s Camilia El Kord, 15-13, while Diongue beat Egypt’s Sara Nounou, 15-9.
In men’s foil, Algeria’s Salim Heroui won against Cape Verde’s Victor Alvares de Oliveira in the final match, 15-10. In the semifinal, Alvares de Oliveira beat Morocco’s Amir El Rhazzouly, 15-9, while Heroui beat South Africa’s Harry Saner, 15-4.
In women’s foil, Algeria’s Meriem Mebarki won against Morocco’s Youssra Zakarani in the final match, 15-10. In the semifinal, Zakarani had a bye, while Mebarki beat South Africa’s Giselle Vicatos, 15-4.
In men’s sabre, Algeria’s Akram Bounabi won against Senegal’s Babacar Sadikh Keita in the final match, 15-11. In the semifinal, Keita beat Ivory Coast’s Emmanuel Landry Olivier Kouadio, 15-11, while Bounabi beat Morocco’s Jihad Kabbaj, 15-10.
In women’s sabre, Algeria’s Kaouther Mohamed Belkebir won against Nigeria’s Blessing Olaode in the final match, 15-13. Olaode beat Morocco’s Manal Saraa in the semifinal, 15-7, while Mohamed Belkebir beat Ivory Coast’s Aya Dorothee Konan, 15-9.
Final rankings included the following:
Men’s Epee
1st Mohamed Elsayed (EGY
2nd Keletigui Julien Diabate (MLI)
3rd Bedi Paul Alex Beugre (CIV)
3rd Khaled Buhdeima (LBA)
5th Satya Gunput (MRI)
6th Alexandre Bouzaid (SEN)
7th Raphael Jacques Hoareau-Berkani (ALG)
8th Pavel Tychler (RSA)
Women’s Epee
1st Ndeye Binta Diongue (SEN
2nd Juliana Barrett (RSA)
3rd Camilia El Kord (MAR)
3rd Sara Nounou (EGY)
5th Yousra Zeboudj (ALG)
6th Marie France Kolia (CIV)
7th Sarah Florence Ngo Ntat Sarah (CMR)
Men's Foil
1st Salim Heroui (ALG
2nd Victor Alvares de Oliveira (CPV)
3rd Amir El Rhazzouly (MAR)
3rd Harry Saner (RSA)
5th Francisco Xavier Da Rosa Chocolate Manuel (ANG)
6th Khaled Buhdeima (LBA)
Women’s Foil
1st Meriem Mebarki (ALG)
2nd Youssra Zakarani (MAR)
3rd Giselle Vicatos (RSA)
Men's Sabre
1st Akram Bounabi (ALG)
2nd Babacar Sadikh Keita (SEN)
3rd Jihad Kabbaj (MAR)
3rd Emmanuel Landry Olivier Kouadio (CIV)
5th Renier Veitch (RSA)
6th Mahamadou Samake (MLI)
Women’s Sabre
1st Kaouther Mohamed Belkebir (ALG)
2nd Blessing Olaode (NGR)
3rd Aya Dorothee Konan (CIV)
3rd Manal Saraa (MAR)
5th Nomvula Mbatha (RSA)
Official results and information may be found on the FIE Web site at www.FIE.org/competitions.