Star Indian fencer Bhavani Devi's remarkable journey at the Asian Games reached its zenith in the quarterfinals, where she faced a tough 7-15 defeat against China's Yaqi Shao, a crowd favourite, in the women's sabre individual category on Tuesday.
On the cusp of clinching a historic Asian Games medal, Bhavani exhibited commendable spirit, securing three touches in the quarterfinal's opening period. However, her Chinese adversary showcased superior agility and strategy, establishing a commanding 8-3 lead. With only seven more touches needed to progress to the semi-final, Shao's experience came to the fore. Despite Bhavani adding four more touches in the subsequent period, it wasn't enough to bridge the gap. In fencing, the first competitor to reach 15 touches in a knockout round claims victory, and Shao achieved this feat in the second period with remarkable ease.
The significance of reaching the semifinals is immense; fencers who make it to this stage are guaranteed at least a bronze medal. The outcome might be a hard pill to swallow for Bhavani, especially considering her opponent's pedigree - Shao was the 2018 Asian Games silver medallist.
Bhavani Devi, in her quest for an inaugural Asian Games fencing medal, exhibited masterful prowess against five contenders, topping her pool. This impressive performance earned her direct entry to the pre-quarterfinals, where she dominated Thailand's Tonkhaw Phokaew with a 15-9 scoreline.
Her journey saw her vanquish Singapore's Juliet Jie Min Heng 5-2, followed by a convincing victory over Saudi Arabia's Alhsna Alhammad, 5-1. The Indian fencer, who previously secured a bronze at the Asian Championships, went on to overcome Karina Dospay 5-3. Bhavani's final two pool matches against Uzbekistan's Zaynab Dayibekova and Bangladesh's Roksana Khatun ended in identical 5-1 victories, reinforcing her dominant stance in the pool.
India's fencing aspirations at the Asian Games continue, with upcoming challenges in the epee women and men's foil team events.
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