Asian Sr Fencing: South Korea, Kazakhstan clinch Women's Sabre and Men's Epee Team gold
New Delhi, June 23
South Korea emerged on top in the Women's Sabre while Kazakhstan bagged gold in the Men's Epee competitions on the fifth day of competitions in the 26th Asian Senior Fencing Championship 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Day 5 marked a massive shift in intensity as individual campaigns dissolved into high-stakes, unified team strategies. The technical elegance of individual play made way for the raw, psychological warfare of team relay fencing.
With national pride on the line and crucial qualification points for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games up for grabs, the strip witnessed tactical masterclasses, heartbreaking collapses, and the unmatched depth of Asia's fencing elite. The team knockout grids brought out the absolute best in the continental heavyweights, where the mental fortitude required to anchor a 45-touch relay separated the champions from the contenders.
The Women's Sabre team event was a breathless showcase of blistering momentum shifts and strategic substitutions. Spearheaded by individual silver-medalist Choi Sebin, the South Korean squad put on an absolute clinic in right-of-way dominance all the way to the finals. Led by individual continental champion Sano Yui, the Japanese team mounted a brilliant tactical resistance throughout the knockout stages to reach the final. Both teams went head-to-head in a gold medal bout that radiated pure class rotation after rotation, ultimately ending with the South Korean team claiming the gold medal.
The full-body target area of Men's Epee translated into a slow-burning, agonisingly tense chess match where a single positional error could cost an entire match. The Japanese epee team-anchored by individual champion Yamada Masaru and the brilliant timing of Olympic gold medalist Kano Koki-operated like a finely tuned machine to cruise into the finals.
Meeting them there were the Kazakh giants, led by the veteran poise of Ruslan Kurbanov, who marched ruthlessly through the bracket. Even though the Japanese team had immense experience and tactical precision on their side, Kazakhstan emerged victorious after a gruelling battle to claim a historic gold medal.
The Indian Women's Sabre team entered the direct elimination grid looking to weaponise their depth, relying on a mix of veteran international experience and young local energy. C.A. Bhavani Devi anchored the team with her signature aggressive flèche attacks, picking up crucial multi-touch deficits during her relays, while teammates Shreya Gupta, Jefarlin J.S., and Shruti Joshi fought valiantly to hold the line, matching the fierce blade-speed of their opponents in the early rotations.
While they were ultimately locked out of the deep medal rounds by a heavily favoured East Asian roster, their collective technical synergy and point aggregation proved that India's women's sabre core is rapidly closing the gap against the region's elite.
Facing a gruelling relay format in a weapon heavily dominated by towering Central Asian and Japanese systems, the Indian Men's Epee squad brought immense grit to the piste.
Individual standout Joseph Bennet teamed up with Sherjin Rajendran Shanthimol, Aloshious Koovakkal Joshy, and Shaurya Ashwini to tackle a highly tactical grid focused heavily on passivity management and lower-body target defense. Sherjin and Joseph anchored critical middle legs to keep point margins tight, while Shaurya and Aloshious showed great defensive discipline during high-pressure standoffs.
Though the podium eluded them, the squad successfully avoided a blowout, gathering invaluable data and setting an authentic structural benchmark for the national team's future development.
With the individual and core team events of these weapons officially wrapped up, the 2026 Senior Asian Fencing Championships have pushed the continental field to its absolute limit. For Team India, the structural cohesion displayed on Day 5 provides a concrete blueprint as the national program prepares for the final, high-octane phases of the tournament on the long road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
— IANS
Reader Comments
South Korea and Kazakhstan are beasts in fencing, no doubt. But I'm genuinely impressed by how our women's sabre team held their own—especially C.A. Bhavani Devi anchoring the relays. The fact that we avoided a blowout and gathered "invaluable data" shows we're thinking long-term. Let's hope the government supports fencing like they do hockey or badminton. We need more training centers in smaller cities!
Great to see Asian fencing getting coverage! But I wish the article focused more on the Indian athletes' personal journeys rather than just the external competitors. Joseph Bennet and Sherjin Rajendran have been grinding for years—let's give them their due. Still, proud of the effort. LA 2028 is the target, and this experience is gold for our squad. 🎯
It's fantastic that India is hosting major championships—this exposure is priceless. The men's epee team faced a tough draw against Japan and Kazakhstan, but they showed real grit. Sherjin anchoring those middle legs to keep margins tight is exactly the kind of tactical growth we need. One suggestion: more emphasis on youth fencing programs in schools. That's how Korea and Kazakhstan built their depth.
Love the energy at Bharat Mandapam! As a Delhiite, I wish I'd known about this earlier—would've loved to cheer for our fencers live. The women's sabre team matching East Asian blade speed in early rotations is no small feat. Bhavani Devi is a true pioneer. 🇮🇳 Also, let's not forget the coaches and support staff working behind the scenes. They deserve recognition too!
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