EARLIER THIS year, when Patiala youngster 15-year-old Chavvi Kohli lost narrowly 14-15 to the eventual gold medallist from Japan in the Asian Fencing Championships in Bahrain, the youngster had missed out on a medal in her second International individual outing. It was disappointment for Kohli as the scores were tied 14-14 in the final round in Bahrain.
On Monday, the Patiala fencer won her second gold medal at the international level when she won the title in the U-17 Epee category with a win over Thailand fencer in the International Thailand Open held at Bangkok. Earlier, the youngster had won the gold medal in U-15 category in the Jordan International Open last year.
“It’s always good to win a medal at the Asian level. I had missed out on a medal in Bahrain and that disappointment was still there. This title in Thailand has come against some of the top-ranked Asian fencers from countries such as Korea, Thailand and Singapore and it will also improve my ranking in Asia. The conditions in Thailand were tough as the weather was humid but we have to adjust to it. I am targeting a medal in next year’s Asian Fencing Championship and competing in more such events will give me confidence,” shared Kohli, who is currently ranked ninth in U-19 and 18th in U-17 Asian Rankings.
A Class X standard student of Yadavindra Public School, Kohli took up fencing six years ago and became the national U-14 champion in EPEE event in the nationals held at Cuttak in 2013 before claiming the U-14 and U-17 EPEE gold medals in the Cadet Nationals held at Bhilai the following year.
Last year saw Kohli winning the team bronze medal in National Games held in Kerala before she defended her title in U-17 category in the Cadet Nationals. The youngster was also part of the Indian junior fencing team which claimed the team silver medal in the Junior Commonwealth Championship held at Capetown, South Africa last year. “EPEE has been my favourite event and the medals in Cadet Nationals gave me confidence ahead of the the international tournaments. In the Junior Commonwealth hampionships in Capetown, we lost to England in the final but playing against European teams is always a challenge. Europe dominates world fencing and as a youngster, one needs to play as much possible against such countries. Here in India, we train in tough conditions. My coaches Mohit Ashwini, Ashok Khatri and Krishan Rayamajhi have been very supportive and I am also hopeful of qualifying for World Championships next year,” shared Kohli, whose father Sandeep Kohli works in a private firm in Patiala.
Coach Mohit Ashwani has seen the youngster’s career from close range.
“Chavvi’s strength has been her attacking style and the way she manages to score points. She defeated fencers from Korea and Singapore earlier in Bahrain and it was a confident display from her. The same goes for the Thai event. She needs to play in Europe and her aim is to qualify for more world events. She can qualify for 2020 Olympics if she stays focused,” said Ashwani, who is a coach with Sports Authority of India at NIS, Patiala.
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