CHENNAI: Bhavani Devi, the first Indian fencer ever to qualify for the Olympics, couldn’t have asked for better preparation in the run-up to the Tokyo Games.
The last few weeks have seen the 27-year-old train with the Italian national fencing team.
“There were three national camps that I was part of with the Italian Olympics team last month.
Each of them was of one-week duration and they were quite intense.
Apart from me, there was a fencer from Greece and Ukraine who were also part of it,” Bhavani told TOI.
While it is not usual for teams to allow players from other countries ahead of a high-profile event, Bhavani’s case is different.
She has made Livorno in Italy her base for the last few years and trained with a majority of the national fencers there.
When the Fencing Association of India (FAI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) put forth a request to the Italian fencing body for assisting Bhavani in her preparations — it was immediately accepted.
“I am just very thankful to have the opportunity of training with their national team.
They were very welcoming and the sessions have been very productive,” Bhavani mentioned.
It is learned that more camps featuring teams from the United States and Germany are being planned later this month.
With the Olympics not too far away, Bhavani’s sessions are more about quality than quantity.
“It is about staying in the best possible shape mentally and physically.
The sessions at the moment are all about making sure I am in the right space by the time the Olympics arrives,” she said.
The icing on the cake for Bhavani was the chance to interact with former world champion and Olympic gold medallist Aldo Montano during the course of the camps.
“For a fencer who has achieved everything in the sport — Aldo remains so grounded.
He shared with me inputs on how to handle pressure since it’s my maiden Olympics, and gave tips on maximising my potential in the sport.
He even called me home and it was great interacting with him,” Bhavani mentioned.
Aldo had won an individual gold and a team silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics and followed it up with team bronze medals in the 2008 and 2012 editions of the Games.
Aldo, who has also won a world championship gold, has announced that the Tokyo Games will be his final Olympics.