Bhavani Devi scripted history as she became the first fencer to win a medal in Asian Championships. By overcoming the current World Champion Misaki Emura in the Asian Fencing Championship quarterfinal and entering the semi-finals on Monday, Bhavani Devi wrote history and secured India its first-ever medal at the competition. Bhavani Devi stated that beating a few top-ranked players in the world was her ultimate goal, and she was thrilled to have defeated Misaki. Talking about her victory over Misaki, Bhavani said, “It was a great moment becoming the first Indian to win a medal for the country in the Asians. Beating Misaki was huge because she is a very good and consistent fencer. I had lost in the round of 16 to Misak in the previous Asians. I had a plan and it worked.”
Semi-Final
Bhavani was later defeated by Zaynab Dayibekova of Uzbekistan 15-14 in the semifinals, earning a bronze medal. At 14–14, Bhavani was sent off for an “early start” by the referee. Both players had been issued yellow cards earlier in the game. As a matter of fact, Bhavani requested a video referral, but the referee denied her request on the grounds that a reference can only be made in the event of “blade contact.”
Journey to the historic medal
The 29-year-old had a bye in round 64 before defeating Kazakhstan’s Dospay Karina in round 32. In the preliminary quarterfinals, she later defeated third seed Ozaki Seri 15-11.
Bhavani received praise and applause from many for her incredible feat including Fencing Association of India secretary-general Rajeev Mehta. Mehta while talking about Bhavani’s historic achievement said, “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. Although she lost in the semifinal, the contest was very close. It was a matter of just point. So it’s a big improvement.”
The Tokyo Olympian is currently preparing for the World Championships, which will take place in Milan from July 22 to July 30.
