It was another mixed bag day for India as several athletes bowed out from the Tokyo Olympics empty-handed while some of them are still in the fight and also in contention for those elusive Olympics medals. Just like all the athletes, CA Bhavani Devi has broken all the barriers and has created history by becoming the first-ever fencer from India to represent the sport at the Olympics.
Although the girl from Chennai bowed out from the Summer Games after losing in the Round of 32, she still has made India proud even with her qualification and participation. While she took the centre stage in her first-ever bout at the Olympics, Bhavani Devi defeated Tunisia’s Ben Azizi Nadia in the Women’s Sabre category. She won the match in a little over six minutes and it was a moment of great pride for the 27-year-old fencer.
Her win allowed a lot of people to know more about the sport. She will also act as an inspiration as kids may now even choose to become sportspersons and more specifically Fencer.
But her journey came to an end when she lost the match against France’s Mason Brunet who is currently the World No.3 in terms of ranking. Bhavani lost the round of 32 match by a score of 7-15. Reflecting on her result after a heartbreaking loss, Bhavani explained the areas where she should have done a lot better. “I could have done much better in the first half against Brunet. In the second half, I made a few changes and did everything I could but it was too late. She is one of the best fencers in the world and I was happy to have given my best against her,” Bhavani told TOI.
“It was splendid to just be part of the Olympics and soak in the atmosphere. But I quickly got over that and began to concentrate on the match,” she said, expressing her feeling while entering to face her first opponent at the Olympics.
The 27-year-old fencer from Chennai is hopeful that India can do well in Fencing as she encourages more and more people to encourage their kids towards Fencing. She is optimistic that her appearance at the Summer Games may leave an impact on people’s minds. “It is a sport where our country can do well. There is a lot of support from the federation and from the government,” Bhavani Devi opined.
