Bhavani Devi Wins India's First-Ever Medal In Asian Fencing Championships

Bhavani Devi might have had to settle for a bronze but nevertheless she has scripted history by bagging the country's first-ever medal at the Asian Fencing Championships.

In a momentous feat, Olympian CA Bhavani Devi etched her name in history by securing India's inaugural medal at the Asian Fencing Championships. Despite a hard-fought battle in the women's sabre semifinal against Uzbekistan's Zaynab Dayibekova, Bhavani displayed incredible skill and determination, eventually losing by a narrow margin of 14-15. Nevertheless, her exceptional performance guaranteed India its first-ever medal in this prestigious continental event held in Wuxi, China.

Bhavani's journey to the semifinals was nothing short of remarkable. She stunned the reigning world champion, Misaki Emura of Japan, with a stunning 15-10 victory in the quarterfinals, creating a historic moment for Indian fencing. Misaki had claimed the gold medal in the women's sabre category at the 2022 World Fencing Championships in Cairo. This triumph marked Bhavani's first-ever win over Misaki, having faced defeat in their previous encounters.

The 29-year-old fencer received a bye in the round of 64 before defeating Dospay Karina from Kazakhstan in the subsequent round. In a surprising turn of events, Bhavani continued her remarkable run by defeating the third seed, Ozaki Seri, with a scoreline of 15-11 in the pre-quarterfinals.

Rajeev Mehta, the Secretary-General of the Fencing Association of India, expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Bhavani on her historic achievement. He emphasized the significance of her feat, stating that she had accomplished what no Indian fencer had done before. Mehta acknowledged Bhavani's exceptional talent and resilience, recognizing her as the trailblazer for Indian fencing. Despite falling short in the semifinals by the narrowest of margins, Mehta highlighted the remarkable progress Bhavani had made and praised her for bringing the sport to new heights in the country.

Bhavani Devi, who became the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, had participated in the Tokyo Games but exited in the round of 32. Despite the disappointment at the Olympics, her remarkable performance and historic medal at the Asian Fencing Championships serve as a testament to her immense skill and determination.

(With Inputs From PTI)