CA Bhavani Devi, the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, recalled on Wednesday that she was so desperate to make the cut for the Tokyo Games that she competed in the tournament to improve her ranking despite nursing injuries. Bhavani qualified for the Tokyo Games through the Adjusted Official Ranking (AOR) method. As of 5 April 2021, two different spots were taken for Asia and Oceania region based on world rankings. He is ranked 45 and occupies one of the two available slots based on rankings.
Bhavani, who failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, said that she does not know how to choose the tournament and so there is competition among all of them.
“Since it was the first time for me, I doubled the effort. I didn’t know if it was okay to go for all the exams or not. I didn’t want to miss anything,” said Bhavani. Said during the experience. Press conference.
“So, I tried my best and went to all the competitions. Even if I got some injuries, I tried to compete in the events. I would get some points and my ranking in the Asian region qualification Wanted to achieve. All those sacrifices and efforts. He helped me to realize my dream.
The 27-year-old from Chennai feels that Indian fencers will have to go the extra mile to compete with the new opponents of the game as the game is new here and is still finding its feet.
“I had no doubt about my decision about the game whether I had good results or bad ones, I gave my best. I always tried to improve myself and do better in perfection.
“Because fencing is a new sport in India, it is evolving now, in Italy or any other country. They have been playing for over 100 years. So, to get to that level we have to double compared to other advanced countries. Will have to work.
“So, I always worked very hard like I would do three sessions or train on Saturday so I was able to get here.
“If I missed something in training, I would not stay here and get support from others because we had to spend more money on fencing because I had to compete in many competitions to get more points,” he said.
Talking about his early struggles while pursuing the game, Saber Fensor, who comes from a humble background, recounts an incident when he lied at school to engage in fencing.
“He asked for my father’s annual income and said ‘Fencing is a very expensive sport, if you come from a poor family you won’t be able to afford it. But I lied and said more than what my father earned.
“In the beginning, swords etc. were very expensive, we used to play with bamboo sticks and used our swords only for competitions because if we broke them we would not be able to afford them because it is not easy to buy them in India. It has to be imported. “
Bhavani, the first Indian fencer to win gold at an international event, spoke about people’s mental perception about fencing in the country.
“Swordsmanship does not get the same respect as other sports here. They feel that fencing is very easy, if I win a medal it is very easy. If I lose then they feel that it is not possible for us to win . People’s mind always thinks of the negative. “
Fencing Association of India President Rajiv Mehta, who was also present at the press conference, said: “We are opening 50 Fencing Academies at the level of India. Each academy will have 20-30 students.”
Promoted
“We will also open 50 centers at the district level. This target will have to be met by 31 March. Then we will open 70 more district centers.”
Mehta said, “The Sports Minister has asked us to spend 20 crores by 31 March. This is the first time Fencing has received so much support from the government.”
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