Why is Bhavani Devi not participating in Fencing World Championships 2026?

Bhavani Devi also represented India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The stage for the Senior World Fencing Championships 2026 is set. The competition will be played at the AsiaWorld–Expo in Hong Kong from July 22 to 30. A total of 12 events will take place across nine days.

India has sent a strong contingent of 24 athletes to the flagship event. However, the contingent is missing one of the most established players in the Indian fencing scene, Bhavani Devi. She represented the nation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, she’s also a two-time gold medallist at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. Devi also won a bronze medal at the Asian Fencing Championships in 2023 in the individual sabre event, where Zaynab Dayibekova and Olympic medalist Yoon Ji-su were also competing.

However, her absence from the event has been a hard pill to swallow for the Indian fencing fans. Thus, let’s find out the reason behind her omission from the competition.

Also Read: When & where will Commonwealth Games 2026 opening ceremony take place?

Why is Bhavani Devi not participating in the Fencing World Championships 2026

CA Bhavani Devi’s absence is powered by a two-month ban imposed on her by the International Fencing Federation.

The 32-year-old sabre fencer received the ban for her conduct during the team event at the Asian Fencing Championship in New Delhi. At the event in the Indian capital, Bhavani Devi threw her fencing helmet in frustration following a disappointing performance in the women’s sabre team event.

The helmet eventually bounced and hit one of the officials on the panel, and as a result, she was handed a black card, the most serious penalty in the sport of fencing. It resulted in her immediate expulsion from the tournament. However, only Bhavani Devi was subject to the ban, not the entire Indian sabre team.

The 32-year-old fencer later wrote an apology for her conduct, while the Fencing Association of India also urged the global authority to reconsider her ban. However, the appeal was declined by the International Fencing Federation. Thus, Devi won’t be in action before August 22.

The women’s sabre contingent for the games includes Shreya Gupta, Jefarlin Jani, Rexlin Simla, Shruti Joshi, and Aakhri.

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