Indian fencer Bhavani Devi was still learning the basics of the sport as a 12-year-old when Chennai hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Fencing Championships.
Fencers from nine countries had flown in to compete, and a young Bhavani skipped her school to watch the action closely.
On Wednesday, as India concluded its successful hosting of the Asian Senior Fencing Championships, Bhavani reflected on how watching international fencers had helped her gain valuable experience.
“The last big event was the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Chennai in 2006. I went there as a spectator and skipped school just to watch the competition. So I understand how watching international-level fencing at that age inspired me to perform better,” Bhavani Devi told Read.
“I remember the last time Indians watched a fencing event was during my Tokyo Olympics campaign. After that, I don’t know if many people had the opportunity to watch a fencing competition featuring the Indian team. So it is great to fence in front of the Indian audience,” she added.
Mentally prepared for my return
Bhavani underwent shoulder surgery in November last year in Italy, and the Asian Championship was her first major tournament post-recovery. She finished 23rd overall in the women’s sabre event, narrowly losing her round of 32 match to Korea’s Choi Se-bin 14-15.
“Expectations were there from my side as well. In the last point, I was a little crushed. You need to learn from these moments because it’s not every day that you lose at 14-14. It’s a very important point, especially in sabre, where you have to think and decide fast while also executing your action,” Bhavani said, reflecting on her performance.
“But I’m glad I did not restrict myself because of my shoulder,” she added.
Bhavani had been struggling with shoulder pain for nearly two years, and when she finally decided to undergo surgery, it resulted in the longest break of her career.
She managed much of the recovery on her own, including spending two nights alone in the hospital. But the 32-year-old never stayed away from fencing during her rehabilitation; she continued to visit her training centre and prepare herself mentally for the return.
“The pain increased whenever my training intensity went up. So last November, we decided to go ahead with the surgery,” she said.
“It was a little terrifying after the surgery. In the beginning, it was really hard because I had never taken any kind of break in my career. For the first two weeks, I was mostly confined to my room. I wasn’t even supposed to walk. I wanted to do something, but my arm was in a sling. It was really difficult because I was alone and didn’t know what to do,” she shared.
“But after that, I understood that this recovery was important if I wanted to perform better. I embraced the process. Every day, I went to my training venue at my usual training time. I would watch the sessions, and my coach would talk to me about fencing, lessons, tactics, and preparation,” she explained.
“We mentally prepared for my return so that I wouldn’t have any fear when I started fencing again,” she concluded.
Bhavani has now set her sights on next month’s World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong, China, where she will hope to deliver an improved performance.
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