C.A. Bhavani Devi, the first India fencer to take part in Olympics, said on Friday that she may have lost to the world number three in Tokyo but was determined to win medals in the next Olympics.
From a time when hardly anyone knew what fencing was, the time has come when everyone across the country knows what it is, Bhavani Devi said, adding that new talents were taking to the sport. She played two rounds at the Tokyo Games but lost to the world number three in the women’s individual sabre event. However, it was an experience gained, Bhavani told the media here. She was in Raipur to take part in the national association's special general body meeting to elect a new body.
Now, the target is to win medals in upcoming games including the Olympics, she said. Meanwhile, the newly elected Secretary General of Fencing Association of India Rajiv Mehta announced Rs 10 lakhs to Bhavani Devi as cash award. This was a hike from the Rs 2 lakhs announced earlier.