Bhavani devi scripts history by becoming 1st Indian fencer to win a medal in Asian championships in 2021 , she became 1st Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics champion
At the Asian Fencing Championships 2023 in Wuxi, China, on Monday, the best fencer from India, Bhavani Devi, took home a bronze medal in the women’s sabre competition. At the continental competition, it was India’s first medal ever.
In the quarterfinals of the women’s sabre competition, world No. 49 Bhavani Devi upset Misaki Emura of Japan, the current world champion and No. 1 in the world, 15-10. The Indian fencer’s historic medal was validated by the victory. Bhavani Devi also achieved her first triumph against the Japanese fencer in four encounters.
The bronze medals are awarded to the losing semi-finalists in the Asian Fencing Championships, while the gold medal playoff is for the victors. Bhavani Devi, 29, accepted bronze following her heartbreaking 15-14 semifinal loss against Uzbekistan’s world No. 79 Zaynab Dayibekova.
Olympic athlete Zaynab Dayibekova defeated Jisu Yoon of the Republic of Korea, who was ranked 28th in the world, 15-9 to take home the gold medal.
Bhavani Devi had previously been given a bye in the round of 64. In the following round, she defeated world No. 95 Dospay Karina of Kazakhstan 15-13 before shocking third-seeded Seri Ozaki of Japan 15-11 in the pre-quarterfinals.
The other three Indian fencers competing in the women’s sabre event, Jagmeet Kaur, Rishika Khajuria, and Josna Christy, did not take home any medals.
Two-time Commonwealth champion Bhavani Devi had won two Asian medals, however both were at the U23 level. She earned a bronze in 2015 and a silver for herself in 2014.
The sole fencer to compete for India at the Olympic Games was Bhavani Devi, who participated in Tokyo 2020.
The Asian Fencing Championships 2023 will feature foil and epee competition in addition to sabre team and individual events. On June 20, the continental championships will come to an end.
