India will host the Asian Senior Fencing Championships for the first time when the continental tournament takes place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from June 19 to 24.
Widely recognised as the “Asia Cup” of fencing, the annual championship is considered the most prestigious competition in the Asia-Oceania region and will bring some of the world’s top-ranked athletes to India.
This year’s edition carries added significance as it will serve as a direct qualification event for the upcoming Asian Games while also offering ranking points that shape the international standings and the road towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.
Alongside the competition, New Delhi will also host the 39th General Assembly of the Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA), marking the first time India will stage the governing body’s administrative summit.
Speaking ahead of the event, FCA and Fencing Association of India secretary general Rajeev Mehta said the championship could become a defining moment for the sport’s growth in the country.
“Hosting the Senior Asian Fencing Championships for the first time is a watershed moment that will permanently redefine the trajectory of Indian sports. We are not just welcoming the world’s elite to New Delhi; we are laying down the path towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle right here at home.
“I am equally excited to welcome delegates for the 39th FCA General Assembly, which is also being hosted in India for the first time. Our athletes have already shown they can compete and win medals at the continental level, and this tournament offers them invaluable exposure competing under home conditions.
“By introducing technologies such as the AI Video Referral System, India is also taking a leading role in modernising the sport. We believe this event can inspire a new generation of fencers in the country.”
The championship is set to feature several of the sport’s biggest names, including Olympic champions Cheung Ka Long of Hong Kong, Oh Sang-uk of South Korea and Japan’s Yamada Masaru.
India will field a full-strength squad of 24 fencers led by Olympian Bhavani Devi, who became the country’s first-ever fencer to qualify for the Olympic Games and won India’s maiden medal at the Asian Championships in 2023.
She will be joined by sabre fencer Karan Singh, Asian Olympic qualification silver medallist, along with Tanishka Khatri and Gisho Nidhi.
Fencing is an Olympic combat sport in which athletes score touches using electronically monitored blades. The competition will feature 12 medal events across individual and team categories in foil, pe and sabre disciplines for both men and women.
The tournament will also act as a testing ground for an AI-powered video referral system after the Fencing Association of India recently hosted a workshop around the technology ahead of the event.
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