Picture Credit: Twitter
Indian fencer C A Bhavani Devi became the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics after qualifying for the 2020 Olympics. Devi has again etched into history books as she won India’s first-ever medal at the Asian Fencing Championships in Wuxi, China. Bhavani clinched a bronze medal in the women’s sabre event after losing to Uzbekistan’s Zaynab Dayibekova 14-15 in the semifinal.
Bhavani had a remarkable run at the prestigious tournament, after receiving a bye in the round of 64. She then defeated Kazakhstan’s Dospay Karina in the round of 32, followed by a stunning upset over third-seeded Misaki Emura of Japan 15-10 in the quarterfinals.
Bhavani was leading 14-13 in the semifinal against Dayibekova, but could not score the final point and lost by a narrow margin as she settled for a bronze medal, while Dayibekova advanced to the final. The Uzbekistan player will next play against South Korea’s Kim Ji-Yeon in the final.
Bhavani’s historic achievement was hailed by the Fencing Association of India Secretary-General Rajeev Mehta, who congratulated her and hoped she would bring back gold. “It is a very proud day for Indian fencing. Bhavani has achieved what no one could achieve before. She is the first Indian fencer to win a medal at the prestigious Asian Championships. On behalf of the entire fencing fraternity, I congratulate her and hope she brings back gold,” Mehta said.
The 29-year-old Indian Olympian has a record of 45-18 in fencing. She previously made an exit in the round of 32 at the Tokyo Olympics and won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Championship in 2019.
