Bhavani Devi creates history by becoming first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympic Games

C.A. Bhavani Devi, who competes in the sabre fencer category, has created history by becoming the first-ever Indian to qualify for fencing at the Olympic Games. She qualified via the Adjusted Official Ranking (AOR) Method.

Bhavani Devi's qualification was confirmed at the ongoing Fencing World Cup in Hungary.

Two individual berths for the Tokyo Olympics were available for the Asia and Oceania region based on the World Rankings of 5 April 2021.

Bhavani Devi is currently ranked 42 and will qualify for one of those two sports based on the rankings. The official confirmation on the same will come when the rankings for 5 April 2021 are released.

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju congratulated 27-year-old Bhavani Devi on achieving the feat.

"Congratulations to Indian fencer Bhavani Devi who has qualified for Tokyo Olympics! She has become the 1st ever Indian fencer to achieve the feat. My best wishes to @IamBhavaniDevi," he tweeted.

Bhavani Devi is an eight-time national champion and has been training under Italian coach Nicola Zanotti since 2016.

TOKYO AWAITS🗼A path-breaking qualification to @Tokyo2020 for Bhavani Devi, as she scripts history by becoming the first Indian fencer at the Olympic Games! Congratulations @IamBhavaniDevi 👏#WeAreTeamIndia🇮🇳 We Are Qualified🤺 pic.twitter.com/zTiVBj6g8n

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) March 14, 2021

#Justbelieveit 🇮🇳🎯#fitnesskadose pic.twitter.com/hPEAmqpuXF

— C A Bhavani Devi (@IamBhavaniDevi) December 28, 2020

A brief history of Bhavani Devi and fencing at the Olympics

Image Credit - @WeAreTeamIndia Twitter account

C.A. Bhavani Devi is the first Indian woman to win a fencing gold medal at the Commonwealth championships. She is also the only Indian to enter the Top 50 of the world fencing rankings.

She also became the first Indian fencer to win gold at a World Cup event by winning the individual sabre event at the 2017 World Cup in Iceland.

Some of her other major milestones include -

• First-ever Indian Fencer to win a Gold medal at the International tournament (Satellite World Cup). She has won 5 medals at the International Satellite events to date.
• First Indian to win Individual medal at Asian U-23 championships (2014 and 2015)
• First-ever Indian Fencer to make it to the Top 16 at the FIE (International Fencing Federation) World championship.

Fencing has been featured in every modern Olympic Games since the first one was held in 1896. There are three types of weapons used in fencing: foil, epee and sabre.

At the Tokyo Olympics, there will be 12 events in fencing (foil/ épée/ sabre, women/ men, individual/ team).

Bhavani Devi will compete in the individual sabre fencing event in Tokyo.