Cuttack (Odisha) [India], January 7 : Rajeev Mehta, General Secretary of the Fencing Association of India (FAI), said that the FAI is focused on promoting talented players, with strong preparations and growing infrastructure.
He expressed confidence in winning medals at Asian events and qualifying for the Olympics, citing improved training and support.
During the 33rd National Junior Fencing Championship on January 6 in Cuttack, Odisha, Rajeev Mehta, while speaking to reporters, said, "We will promote our good players. We have international events here. The better the players who go from here, the more benefit Odisha will get. I believe Odisha's representation will be good with both number of players and medals increasing. With the preparations we have this time, we will bring back medals from Asia and also go to the Olympics. Our preparation in fencing is very good. Since 2017, the number of players have increased and the players have ample equipment too now which is a significant thing since Fencing is an expensive sport."
Notably, India will host the Senior Asian Fencing Championship 2026 for the first time ever. New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Stadium will be the venue for the marquee tournament from June 18-26, marking a big step forward for the sport in the country.
Suryabanshi Suraj, Odisha Higher Education & Sports Minister, said that Odisha strongly supports and encourages fencing, expressing confidence that the state's players will perform well and achieve recognition at the international level.
"The people of Odisha have a lot of love and reverence for fencing. We will encourage them... We believe they will do very well... I hope that in the coming times, players from Odisha will make a name on the world stage," Suryabanshi Suraj said.
Debendra Kumar Sahu, the Secretary of Odisha Fencing Association, said that preparations are going smoothly with strong support from the state government and that players are happy with the well-managed accommodation and venue arrangements.
"Preparations are going very well. We are receiving support from the state government. The children are very happy. Their accommodation, along with venue arrangements, is well taken care of," he said.