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On Day 4 of the Asian Senior Fencing Championships at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the electric atmosphere shifted to the highly anticipated team events with the Women's Foil and Men's Sabre competitions. Regional fencing powerhouses South Korea and Japan continued their fierce battle for continental supremacy, delivering an intense display of tactical depth and explosive speed on the piste.
In the Men's Sabre Team category, South Korea--led by individual gold medalist Oh Sang-uk and defending champion Do Gyeong-dong--put on a masterclass to defeat Japan in a thrilling final. Meanwhile, the Japanese women countered this dominance in the Women's Foil Team event, where individual champion Yuka Ueno led her squad to a gold medal finish over the South Koreans after a display of flawless blade work. Playing on home pistes, the Indian teams showcased remarkable grit and clear moments of resilience against these Olympic-level rosters, ultimately securing a hard-fought 10th-place finish overall. In the Men's Sabre Team event, the Indian squad comprising Vishal Thapar, Karan Singh, Gisho Nidhi Kumaresan Padma, and Lakshay Badser fought aggressively in the initial rounds, riding high on the momentum of placing three fencers in the top 32 earlier in the week. Although they were eventually halted in the quarterfinals by a deeply experienced Chinese squad, the team's talent was on full display. Notably, Karan Singh showed incredible promise by stringing together quick touches using his trademark explosive off-the-line speed, proving that the Indian contingent can match the pace of the world's best. The young Indian women's squad, featuring Kanupriya Chawla, Joys Ashitha Stalinraj, Naorem Mina Devi and Sonia Devi Waikhom, also demonstrated immense fight and used the high-stakes environment to absorb critical international experience. They narrowly missed a quarterfinal berth, but they showed great adaptability by executing sharp tactical adjustments from the coach's side on the fly. While the relentless pressing of the tier-one Asian nations proved difficult to break down in the demanding 45-point team format, the fierce determination and developmental strides shown by both Indian teams highlight a very bright future for the nation on the international fencing circuit. (ANI)
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