Indian fencer C A Bhavani Devi made history on Monday by securing India’s first-ever medal at the Asian Fencing Championships. Bhavani won a bronze medal after a hard-fought loss in the women’s sabre semifinals against Uzbekistan’s Zaynab Dayibekova, with a score of 14-15. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian fencing.
Bhavani’s journey to the semifinals included a remarkable victory over reigning world champion Misaki Emura of Japan in the quarterfinals. She defeated Misaki with a score of 15-10, securing a historic win as she had previously been unable to defeat the Japanese champion in their past encounters.
The 29-year-old fencer received a bye in the round of 64 before defeating Dospay Karina of Kazakhstan in the following round. She then caused an upset by defeating third seed Ozaki Seri 15-11 in the pre-quarterfinals.
Rajeev Mehta, the secretary-general of the Fencing Association of India, expressed his congratulations to Bhavani for her remarkable achievement. He highlighted the pride felt by the Indian fencing community and commended her for becoming the first Indian fencer to win a medal at the prestigious Asian Championships.
Although Bhavani fell short in the semifinals, losing by just a single point, her performance showcased significant improvement. Bhavani had previously made history by becoming the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, where she reached the round of 32 before exiting the competition.