Bhavani Devi – The First-Ever Indian Fencer To Qualify For Olympics

Bhavani Devi, the 27-year-old girl, becomes the first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics. She secured an Olympic spot due to events in the ongoing Fencing World Cup on Sunday, 14 March 2021. To win a place, South Korea needed to finish in the top four of the World Cup team event in Budapest. It would automatically earn them a Tokyo Olympics qualification, allowing Bhavani to claim one of two individual spots reserved for Asia & Oceania via Adjusted Official Ranking (AOR).

More About Bhavani Devi

Bhavani Devi was born on 27 August 1993 to a middle-class family in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Her father was a priest, and her mom a homemaker. C.A Bhavani Devi began her sports career in 2003 when she was 10-years-old. She completed her schooling at Muruga Dhanushkodi Girls Higher Secondary, Chennai. After that, she studied at St.Joseph’s Engineering College in Chennai.

In 2004, Bhavani was introduced to fencing at the school level. After her class 10, she joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Thalassery, Kerala. She did a lot at a young age, and this is what made her a prodigy. When she was 14-years-old, she appeared at her first international tournament in Turkey and got a black card there for being late by three minutes. Moreover, in the 2010 Asian Championship in the Philippines, she seized a Bronze medal. The Go Sports Foundation supports her.

First Indian Fencer To Qualify For Olympics

Recently, the 27-year-old Bhavani Devi has qualified for the Olympics, and she is the first Indian fencer to do so. It is a great accomplishment for the young girl as she has made the country proud. Bhavani is mindful that this qualification is just a start. It is going to be an intimidating task at the Olympics. At this World Cup, Bhavani lost to a Hungarian opponent seeded lower than her in the round of 64 in the individual event. She has a few more months of training to throw in before Tokyo.

After achieveing this milestone, Bhavani says that now she feels free. It’s been her dream. She has been working hard for the last five years for this. She gives special thanks to her (late) father and mother for believing in her.

The Global Child Prodigy congratulates this amazing girl, Bhavani Devi, for her achievements. Warm wishes to her & all the very best for the future!

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