Bhavani looks to keep it going in Asiad

Chennai: For a pioneer like Bhavani Devi, each step forward unravels new sporting ground for the nation. The 29-year-old from Chennai — India’s first and only Olympian fencer so far — had shifted her training base from Livorno, Italy to Orleans, France post the Tokyo Olympics. The move brought Bhavani under the tutelage of sabre specialist and senior coach Christian Bauer at his academy, and compelled her to acclimatize to his rigorous methods swiftly. Two years later, her efforts have culminated in an unprecedented Asian Championships medal for the country.It’s her first big result after the switch, and one that has fuelled Bhavani’s self-belief. “For me, adapting to new styles was always easy but doing that consistently and bringing the same form into competitions was the hardest part. I believe it’s now coming out in competitions as well and I hope to continue in the same way,” Bhavani told TOI in an exclusive conversation.Bhavani is now aiming to replicate or better the feat at the upcoming Asian Games in September. But in terms of training, she is treating it like any other tournament. “The coach does the tournament-wise planning and preparation. I just need to follow his programmes and work hard everyday. The work we do in training and the effort we put in is the same for every competition. The Asian Games are of course important, but the effort has to be the same as for other tournaments.” Success begets ambition, and the Asian glory has allowed Bhavani to dream big for Paris 2024. “This medal has given me more confidence about achieving my goals. I hope to do better and better in every competition. The Paris Olympics should be my best result ever. I am hoping for the best.”There are several advantages of training at Bauer’s academy, not the least of which is getting to spar with top players like World No. 6 Manon Brunet, who defeated Bhavani at the Tokyo Olympics. The 71-year-old Bauer’s ways are radically different from her previous coach Nicola Zanotti, and Bhavani is entirely on board with them. “His (Bauer’s) style of fencing is helping me, be it working with him personally or doing exercises with fellow fencers at the club. We train hard every day and repeat, which is helping us to sharpen the timing of my attacks and rhythm on the piste (playing area),” she says.Bhavani feels that the physically intense training is now reflecting in her gameplay and making her more dynamic and agile — attributes that are imperative in the breakneck-paced world of fencing. But she recognizes that there is still a long way to go in terms of bringing what she does at training into competitions.Case in point being her Asian Championships semifinal, where she came agonizingly close to victory before falling short by a solitary point. “I lost by one point, but the fact is that I lost. It may be a tiny margin, but the work needed to get that 15th point is a lot. You must be in good form technically, physically and mentally to bridge that gap. I realize that I have to work on many aspects that could have prepared me better to take not just that one point but also win the final.”At the same time, Bhavani, who is now World No. 28, knows she has to be patient as the results won’t always go her way. “For fencers from India, it takes a lot of time to get the desired results,” she said.