Democratisation of fencing in India

Baby Reddy clucks typically through the cellphone dialog, correcting the small print. “No. My father is not a farmer. We have a small house, three buffaloes and grow plants in two pots,” the 17-year-old specifies, slowly.
The fencer, who was on the National Centre of Excellence in Patiala, has been busy correcting a Nationals-score point out in opposition to Olympics-bound Bhavani Devi from final month in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand. “It was 4-15. Not 14-15. Anyway she won,” the 16-year-old stresses.
It was an error—the press printed it as 14-15 after Bhavani picked the title, when it was 4-15, nevertheless it has fired up Baby’s ambition. “But you must write about the first time I played her. I got 3 points, she got 5. I fought fearlessly. Now there’s fear because she’s Olympics level. Still, I gave her a very good fight,” she says, including earnestly that the press ought to name her subsequent when she beats her idol.
A sport that was the protect of the aristocracy in Europe and posh golf equipment throughout the primary world, is unearthing expertise from India’s distant rural areas.
Three of the 5 fencers who will journey to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the final Olympic qualifying event this week, are kids of farmers. The group contains sabre’s massive hope in males, Karan Singh, whose father tills a tiny patch of land on contract in Alwar, Rajasthan. Th Kabita Devi, seeking to pounce on the only qualifying spot in Epee from the continental meet, has a father or mother in Silchar police.
Bicky Thokchom of Bashikhong in Imphal, Manipur, can also be the son of a farmer. While Radhika Avati, who additionally fences foil, comes from a farming household in Sangli. Epee fencer Sunil Kumar’s father is an ex-serviceman now farming in Jhunjhunu, and it’s India’s silent scouting efforts staking out far-flung areas from 2008-9 which have handpicked these potential winners.
Blades that have been as soon as held by princes just for their leisure at the moment are selecting targets whereas wielded by kids of peasants and beat police. Bhavani has lit a aggressive drive throughout teaching centres of India. Her personal background, she got here from a center class house herself, has meant ambitions are upgraded throughout the nation to purpose on the Olympics, undeterred by the prohibitive prices of the tools.
Baby Reddy (R) with Bhavani Devi. (File)
While Baby belongs to Kadapa in Andhra, she was scouted by coach Bhavani Prasad Dhungana for her pace and combative confidence in a soccer match. “She was chubby in Class 3 too. But she was so fast while running and in football and the first time she held the weapon, there was no fear. Good aggressive attacking and footwork and confident in lunges. So we brought her from Kadapa to Hakimpet centre,” says the coach.
Sports Authority of Telangana would fund her training and coaching at a sports activities college as she began selecting medals nationally. And now {the teenager} is biding her time to be assigned her private gear at Patiala, whereas dreaming of her subsequent shy on the iconic Bhavani, set to be India’s first fencing Olympian.
While India’s high six in girls’s sabre come from Kerala’s Thalassery centre, the state authorities sanctioned 5 extra centres in fencing’s southern nursery from the place Bhavani took her first strides.
As many as 200 fencers are coaching within the wings at Munnar, Wayanad and Ernakulam in Kerala, apart from the 2 centres at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
Sagar Lagu, who began out in Sangli when his native gymnasium proprietor Rekha Nene went in for a diploma at NIS to educate her daughter within the sport, has pushed the Kerala surge. A topper at NIS himself— “I’m an accidental coach,” he says – Lagu was posted to Kerala. “In 2008 I sent 20 odd coaches to get their coaching certification from Kerala. Then we looked for raw talent from other sports,” says Lagu, who was instrumental in getting Bhavani to Coonoor from Chennai.
A junior Commonwealth and Asian medallist himself, he remembers India’s early days within the sport internationally. It resembled relay-fencing.
Comical outings up to now
“Only one mask and blade would be shared by all. So the board-call announcements would happen somewhere and our fencer would be at another piste waiting for that match to get over and grab his mask and sword. They’d run to where they were to compete wearing the mask on the way and then the next fencer would pick up the equipment and run. It was comical for anyone watching and so many were carded out because a teammate’s match hadn’t finished and the mask wasn’t available,” he remembers.
In the previous few years, fencing has been elevated to a precedence sport.
And there are grand plans of Excellence centres throughout the nation with overseas coaches to be roped in. The pandemic has put a sorrowful pause on the game at developmental stage. But even earlier than Bhavani’s qualification—a tactical gathering of factors was secured—elements of India have been buzzing with startup promise.
Like Kerala, state centres have been glorious feeders with diligent low key SAI coaches toiling away in Bhopal, Telangana, Aurangabad to go together with the 2 conventional powerhouses Manipur and Punjab.
“Coaches are scouting out from government and municipal schools as well as village sports meets,” says SAI Patiala coach Kishan Kumar.
A haul of 36 medals at Olympics is the inducement, however some centres throw up pure expertise in hordes. Like the Jammu Kashmir State Council centre which is brimming with numbers of gifted fencers, nurtured technically by astute coaches.
“For the first 6-7 months, I don’t even give athletes a real blade. They have to be fundamentally strong and disciplined. Immaturity is not permitted in this sport. And whether it’s Aurangabad or J&K, all centres have coaches who drill in basics meticulously,” he says.
Karan Singh was picked for the Army Boys firm sports activities college from Rajasthan together with Chunilal, son of one other farmhand. Shiv Mangesh of Kanyakumari was scouted out and rapidly received over the shyness he felt because the son of a labourer. Joshna Joseph, Bhavani’s strongest opponent, has a farmer father.
As does foil champion Radhika, who comes from the Thalassery centre. “Initial weapon is Rs 10,000 to 15,000 thousand. But training centres are taking care of that,” Lagu says.
Mumbai although is seeing a mushrooming of fencing golf equipment in center class localities of Navi Mumbai and Thane.“Those clubs also get kids from modest backgrounds. Fencing has no lack of driven athletes, now aiming higher because of Bhavani,” Lagu says.