26th July 2021. Bhavani Devi has been preparing for this day for years. She became the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics and even win a match. But she had to bow out of the games after losing the second match to world top 3 player Manon Brunet of France.
Born on 27 August 1993 in Chennai, the youngest of 5 children, Bhavani came across her calling quite accidentally. When she had to sign up for a mandatory sport activity in grade 6, she chose fencing only because all other options had filled up by the time she joined.
Muruga Dhanushkodi Girls’ Higher Secondary School, a girls high school that prides itself on teaching pupils to feel proud of being born a woman, taught her the art of sabre in 2004. And instead of being worried that it was a fairly unknown sport, especially for women, she took it upon herself to become one of the nation’s best.
It wasn’t easy, as she didn’t come from a well-off family. Bhavani’s father was a temple priest and her mother was a homemaker. She didn’t even have enough money to afford an electric sword to train with. Bhavani had to make-do with bamboo sticks and borrowed swords at the tournament.
The sport inspired her and motivated her to become better every single day. As did her mother.
In addition to travelling expenses, Bhavani’s family also had to buy fencing equipment. Not the one to give up, her mother, CA Ramani, borrowed money for tournaments and pushed her daughter’s limits so that she could achieve what she wanted.
Continuing her studies and her fencing training at the same time, Bhavani had to depend on scholarships to get through. She now holds a bachelors & masters in Business Administration.
Loaded with struggles and triumphs, her story is an inspiration to many young women in India, and she herself drew inspiration from women pioneers in sports, like Sania Mirza and Serena Williams.
Breaking down, she apologized on her social media saying she did her level best but couldn’t win. She thanked the millions of Indians who supported her, her Coach Nicola Zanotti, her Mental Trainer Angelo Carnemolla, her mother, and all the people and media houses of her home state, Tamil Nadu, who were praying for her success, and handled it with dignity and grace.
Social media flooded with praise for her achievement, and consolation, saying that the nation is proud of her..
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the people who praised her, calling Bhavani an inspiration, saying ‘You gave your best and that is all that counts. Wins and losses are a part of life.’ Bhavani said his words gave her the confidence to work hard & win upcoming matches for India.
Bhavani Devi’s story doesn’t end here. This is just the beginning for her, and millions of young Indian men and women who seek to excel in the sport they chose.
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