Aichi, September 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s record 20-member fencing contingent concluded its Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 campaign without a medal after the women’s sabre team exited in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Bhavani Devi, Shreya Gupta, Jefarlin JS and Shruti Joshi began their team campaign with a 45-23 victory over Indonesia in the round of 16. However, Uzbekistan ended their run with a 45-35 win in the quarter-finals.
India had three teams reach the last eight in Aichi-Nagoya, with the men’s sabre and women’s foil teams also advancing to the quarter-finals before suffering defeats.
Bhavani, India’s leading fencer and an Olympian, reached the individual sabre round of 16. After losing three of her five pool bouts, she bounced back with wins over Kazakhstan’s Aigerim Sarybay and Thailand’s Arisara Somphao before defeating Mongolia’s Oulen Tugsjargal 15-8 in the round of 32.
Her campaign ended against China’s Rao Xueyi, the 2026 World Championships silver medallist, who won 15-5.
Shreya also reached the individual sabre round of 16 but lost 15-6 to South Korea’s Jeon Ha-young, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist. None of India’s 10 individual entries progressed to the quarter-finals.
In the other team events, Gisho Nidhi Kumaresan Padma, Karan Singh and Lakshay Badser guided the men’s sabre team to a 45-27 win over the Philippines before South Korea defeated them 45-25 in the quarter-finals.
The women’s foil team of Joys Ashitha Stalinraj, Sonia Devi Waikhom, Kanupriya Chawla and Mina Devi Naorem also reached the last eight after beating Indonesia 45-24, but lost 45-14 to Japan.
India’s men’s foil team exited in the round of 16 following a 45-27 defeat to Hong Kong China, while the women’s épée team suffered a 45-29 loss to Uzbekistan at the same stage.
The result extended India’s wait for a maiden Asian Games fencing medal despite the country fielding its largest-ever contingent in the sport.
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