No Fencing Her In – Leisure News

Serendipity had something to do with C.A. Bhavani Devi taking to fencing. As a 12-year-old student in Chennai’s Muruga Dhanushkodi School, she was stuck with a sport she knew nothing about because slots for volleyball, squash and gymnastics were all full. She didn’t complain. “I was happy to play with a sword,” says Devi. To get her hands on one, though, she first had to excel with a stick. Devi made quick strides and won her first gold in the under-14 category for Tamil Nadu within a year. Soon, her talent was noticed and at 16, Devi was invited to train with Sagar Lagu, coach at the Sports Authority of India in Thalassery, Kerala.

Becoming the brightest star of a sport that still remains elusive to most Indians, Devi hasn’t looked back since. With a gold at the Turnoi Satellite Fencing Championship in 2017 and as the first Indian to crack the top 50 with a career-high rank of 36, Devi is gradually changing the face of Indian fencing. “I still need to work a lot,” says Devi from Chennai where she has been locked down with her mother, Ramani, since March 15.

Like many Indian athletes pursuing a sport other than cricket, Devi has had her fair share of struggle. Her parents took multiple loans to support her passion when funding was low. “The years 2011-2015 were really hard,” says Devi, who at one point even considered giving up the sport. Fortunes changed with her maiden international victory. Support from GoSports Foundation and Tamil Nadu’s elite scholarship scheme has made it possible to afford international training.

Before the lockdown began, Devi was in Livorno, Italy, training under the guidance of Nicola Zanotti, who has led the Italian national team in three Olympic games thus far. “The level is very high and I get better sparring partners,” says Devi. She left Livorno just before Italy’s fight with Covid began. Her current challenge is to maintain that level of intensity. Online training with her Italian coaches, bodyweight training and yoga help. Her kit bag serves as her dummy partner as she sets her sights on winning more podium positions to help her become the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, now slated for next year.

Still uncertain as to when she can return to Italy, Devi, 26, is making the most of her time with her mother, her strongest ally. “This is the first time in a decade that I have stayed at home for whole days at a stretch, and more so, for over two months,” she says.