Fencing is a sport which is not very popular in India. Very few people even understand the game. If you are one of those people, it is time to follow this sport. An Indian female fencer is about to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Who is that fencer?
C.A. Bhavani Devi.
If you are an Olympics fan, you have to got to remember this name. Chadalavada Anandha Sundhararaman Bhavani Devi is about to achieve what no other Indian fencer has done in history. Bhavani is extremely close to securing an Olympic berth at Tokyo Olympics. If she manages to achieve this feat, she will be the first ever Indian fencer to ever make the Olympics.
How can she qualify for the Olympics?
Bhavani participates in the Sabre team in Fencing. The individual Sabre event at Tokyo Olympics will consist of 34 entries. Out of these 34 entries, 24 entries will be filled by members of teams which have qualified for Sabre team event. Rest of spots are to given through continental qualifiers and world ranking quotas.
2 individual spots for Asia & Oceania are to be given based on the World Fencing ranking as of 5th April, 2021. This is where Bhavani’s chance lies. She is currently ranked 45th in the world. She currently occupies one of the 2 positions available based on rankings.
Fencers from China, Korea and Japan are ranked above Bhavani as per latest rankings. As per current team rankings, Korea and China are expected to qualify in the team event. Hence, there fencers will qualify through team ranking route. Hence, the 2 spots will go to one Japanses fencer and Bhavani Devi from India.
There is only event scheduled before 5th April in Sabre event. World Cup in Hungary is scheduled from 11-13 March. Bhavani Devi is scheduled to participate in this event. Given that only event is left, Bhavani has virtually sealed a spot in this year’s Olympics. The next highest ranked Fencer in Asia/Oceania is 65th ranked Aigerim Sarybay from Kazakhstan.
If she fails to qualify through ranking route, she will get another chance in April through Asian Continental qualifier. One spot is to be given through continental qualifier.
Let us hope Bhavani Devi creates history in few weeks time by becoming the first ever Indian fencer to qualify for Olympics.
If you want to know how the sport of fencing works, look at following:
