The country wants medals: Fencing Association of India Secretary Rajeev Mehta

India is hosting the Asian Senior Fencing Championships 2026 for the first time, marking a significant milestone for the sport in the country.

While pleased with the successful organisation of the event and the progress shown by Indian fencers, Rajeev Mehta, Secretary General, Fencing Association of India (FAI) and Secretary General, Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA), believes the journey has only just begun.  

Speaking to The Bridge, Mehta reflected on India's efforts to bring the event to New Delhi, the country's medal ambitions, and plans to host more major international fencing competitions in the coming years.

India is hosting the 2026 Asian Fencing Championships for the first time. How do you see it?

First time we are trying to do the Asian Fencing Championships in India and the first time at Bharat Mandapam. Our players have given a very good performance. There is a lot of improvement from before. The only thing is that we didn't get a medal. Until we get a medal, I don't believe we have achieved what we want.

What were the challenges as the host nation to bring the continental championship to India?iTo bring the Asian Fencing Championships to India was a very tough task for me because I have been trying hard for the past three years. Back then, there were reservations from a lot of countries about giving India the hosting rights. There was a popular opinion that India can’t host such a big championship. I am happy that everybody came here and has appreciated the progress Indian fencing has made. I am happy to have changed that narrative.

Will we see more international fencing tournaments hosted in India?

India has been allotted next year’s Asian Fencing Championship. Other than that, we wish to host next year’s World Cup, but it depends on the international federation. We are also planning to host an Olympic qualifier in 2027. We are doing our best for fencing in India.

How do you assess the performance of the Indian fencers?

Our players have given a very good performance. There is a lot of improvement from before. The only issue is we haven’t been able to convert them into medals. And, until we get a medal, I don’t believe we have reached our goal.

Our fencers have finished among the top 20s, but that is not what we are looking at. The country wants medals, and until we get medals, we will keep planning and working harder.

According to you, what needs to be done to convert good performances into medals?

We want to plan in a way that next year, when we host the Asian Championship again, our athletes are able to compete for medals. Our players often reach the later stages and then lose close matches, finishing 13th, 14th, 15th or similar positions. We need to address that, and it is when our fencers begin to win medals that the sport will grow in India.