Bhavani Devi loses fight in 2nd round but wins hearts
New Delhi: Bhavani Devi showed nerves of steel and the will to fight as she won a round to create history on her debut in the sport of fencing at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday.
Even though the girl from Chennai lost in the second round, she had won a billion hearts with her resolve. Here was the girl named after a Hindu goddess who needed more than blessings and prayers to conquer stage fright.
Before this, no Indian had ever competed in fencing at the Olympics. Bhavani, who was full of poise and elegance at the opening ceremony on Friday, did well to defeat Nadia Azizi 15-3 in the first round.
In a short while, Bhavani was back on stage, against Manon Brunet in the second round. Though Bhavani lost 7-15 against Brunet, a very high ranked player in the world, she was not disgraced.
This was also a very poignant moment for Bhavani's mother, who was inside the stadium in Tokyo. The lady behind Bhavani has been a big source of motivation, but never travelled abroad to see her daughter compete. At best, she had seen Bhavani compete in the Nationals in India.
Just to jog the readers' memory, when Bhavani took to the sport, against all odds, it was on her terrace in Chennai. She did not have the fencing equipment as used bamboo sticks to lunge, dodge and learn the nuances of the sport.
Her family motivated her and kept her dream alive. Today, thanks to the support from the Central government and the Tamil Nadu government, Bhavani was able to realise it.
Spending months away from India and training in Italy during the COVID-19 lockdown since 2020, Bhavani never flinched. On Monday, she poured her hearts out while speaking to fans through social media.
"It was excitement and emotional on a big day. I won the first match and lost against a top ranked player. I tried my level best but couldn't win. I am sorry," said Bhavani. The "sorry" from her was just not needed as she had broken a huge barrier in a sport which is still new to most Indians.
The young girl has a great work ethic and philosophy. "Every end has a beginning. I will continue my practice and definitely work hard to win a medal at the next Olympics in France (2024) and make my country proud. I want to thank each one of you who stood by me," said Bhavani.
India may well watch her win a medal next year in the Asian Games in China, an event which can serve as a good to tune-up for the Olympics. Bhavani had missed out on the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Bhavani made it a point to thank all her well-wishers. "Millions of Indians, special thanks. (Thanks) to my coach Nicola Zanotti, mental trainer Angelo Carnemolla and my mother, my pillar of strength who came all the way to Olympics watching me live," she tweeted.
"I will come back stronger and successful at the next Olympics," she added.
To be sure, Bhavani had qualified for the 32-draw Olympics very late (March 2021) in Italy. She had made a dash to India, competed in the Nationals in Rudrapur and then flew back to Italy.
Daughter of a Hindu priest and coming from a middle class family in Chennai, Bhavani's rise to this level has been one of toil. By her own admission, she thought of chucking the lonely sport many times. Call it hard prayers and transmitting love and power to the daughter, Bhavani's parents are the reason, the 27-year-old girl became the first Indian fencer to make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics.
In March, at the World Cup in Budapest, when Bhavani qualified, it was a culmination of painstaking effort which was her way of thanking her parents for keeping her going. Her father is no more but her close family provides a great emotional cushion to the girl from Chennai.
