"Now everyone will dream about the Olympics and medals in fencing" - Bhavani Devi
India's first-ever fencer, CA Bhavani Devi, started her campaign with a 15-3 win against Nadia Ben Azizi of Tunisia at the Makuhari Messe arena in Tokyo. She then went down fighting 15-7 against world no.4 Manon Brunet of France in the second round. This ended her Olympic campaign but left her imprint in the world of fencing.
After the first match, Bhavani Devi admitted that playing at the Olympics was indeed a dream come true.
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"During the first match, I was watching the Olympic circles because I was dreaming of playing on the stage whenever I go to sleep and today it came through. I felt a little emotional in the first match but at the same time wanted to do better and immediately changed my focus."
Bhavani added:
"I was a bit nervous in the first match because of how I was going to do it. Starting every time is a bit of a problem but luckily I started very well. It was a very good match which I won with a big difference. It is not easy to maintain the same attitude and the same form in the match. I maintained my performance in the first match."
In the second match, she was up against 25-year-old Brunet, who is ranked 4th in the world. Bhavani has competed against her twice, losing on both occasions. Speaking about her second fight, Bhavani said:
"We were together in a training camp in France, where I defeated her in a 15-14 practice match."
"Fencing is not about winning or losing. I knew she was strong and I had strategies but she fenced me better and anticipated my game. I didn't play badly, she just moved in time."
"I gave my best and I didn't make a big mistake. For me it's a good feeling that I kept my focus till the end and tried to do better till the end of the game. I'm sad that in the first half it could have been better. As a fencer and as an athlete we know this is the Olympics and anything is possible here. I'm happy that I gave my best."
Speaking about her tactical riposte (offensive) and parry (defensive), Bhavani said:
"I've been going long in attacks but once I attacked my lower body. Our target is above the vest but I'm happy that the meaning of action was good today. In the 2nd match, my actions were not completed because I made many parry's (defense action). My riposte wasn't on target, so I lost three points. I made a very good parry and no good riposte."
On being asked if she was disappointed at not reaching the third round, she replied:
"I'm a little bit sad that I couldn't reach the next round. Maybe I could have done better in the first half which I changed in the second half but it was too late. But this is sabre, it's very fast. We don't have much time in between points as well."
On being asked how she sees the future of Indian fencing, she replied:
"Yes, now everyone will dream about the Olympics, now everyone will dream about Olympic medals. When I started and dreamed about the Olympics, no one believed that we could do it, and women could do it in fencing. So now everyone will dream about it confidently. They will enjoy their process, they will work hard. And I'm happy that I can give them the confidence."
It was my mother's dream more than mine: Bhavani Devi
Bhavani Devi spoke about acclimatizing to the needs of her sport at the Olympics, and how there was a moment, almost an epiphany, where it dawned on her that she's competing at the quadrennial extravaganza.
"We fence wireless here and I haven't fenced wireless much. Grand Prix and World Championship, you fence wirelessly only when you're in the top 16. So I had to do that process of checking which took a long time. When I was doing it, I was feeling I'm in to Olympics and I'm going to play in the Olympics."
When asked how it was to play the Olympics in front of her mother, she said:
"More than my dream it was her dream that I should compete in the Olympics. She sacrificed a lot for me and worked really harder than I did for the sport. So i think it was important she watch me play live at the Olympics. She always comes for national competitions. Before this, she came to Internationals only once during Rio olympics qualification which I didn't qualified for. During that time she motivated me a lot. (She ssaid)'Don't worry you have given your best, move forward and try to do better in the next competition.' She is the one who motivates me to move forward. Even if it is difficult for me to self-motivate.
"Even after the loss, I was upset but she said, 'It's ok, you have done your best. You have to do well now, you have experienced the Olympics. Move forward and go for the medals in the next olympics.' I think she is the best supporter for me".
Bhavani might have lost in the second round, but she has made sure India has been put on the world map for fencing. Several athletes and officials congratulated her for this historic moment.
