Tokyo Olympian Bhavani Devi to compete at four fencing World Cups in 2022
Bhavani Devi will take part in FIE World Cups in Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece and Belgium in January and March next year.
Bhavani Devi, the first-ever Indian fencer to represent the country at the Olympics, is set to feature in four international fencing federation (FIE) World Cups in early 2022.
India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has facilitated Bhavani Devi’s participation in these competitions via the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC).
As per the ACTC mechanism, the Government of India releases grants to all the recognised National Sports Federations (NSFs) every financial year. The federations then use the funds to assist athletes in training and send them for competitions.
Bhavani Devi will first take part at a training camp in Tbilisi, Georgia from January 4, before competing at the FIE World Cup in the same city from January 14 to 16.
The Indian fencer will then travel to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to compete in another World Cup scheduled from January 28 to 29. Two more World Cups in Greece (March 4 to 5) and Belgium (March 18 to 19) will follow.
Bhavani Devi, currently ranked 55 in the world in the individual women’s sabre category, created history last year after she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.
At Tokyo 2020, Bhavani Devi won her first-round individual women’s sabre match against Tunisia’s Ben Azizi Nadia but lost to France's Manon Brunet in the round of 32.
Bhavani Devi also won gold in women’s individual sabre at the Charleville National Competition, in France in October this year.