Fencing: Bhavani Devi in unchartered territory

Bhavani, who missed the Rio Olympics in 2016, has since improved her game and jumped in world rankings.

Hyderabad: Fencing has never been a strong forte for the Indians. No Indian has ever made the cut. C A Bhavani Devi created history by qualifying to the Games for the first time in Indian history.

The eight-time national champion made the cut in March this year. Her place was confirmed for the showpiece event through official rankings. She is ranked 42^nd in the world and qualified through Asia/Oceanic Zone after Hungary lost to South Korea in the quarters at the Sabre Fencing World Cup.

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Bhavani, who missed the Rio Olympics in 2016, has since improved her game and jumped in world rankings. The 27-year-old Chennai athlete has been training under Italian coach Nicola Zanotti for five years. Bhavani, whose highest ranking was 36, has a silver in Commonwealth Championship and in Asian Championship along with a bronze each in Asian Fencing, 2^nd Commonwealth Championships.

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