Matsuyama and Bakaldina Triumph in New Delhi
On the third day of the 26th Asian Senior Fencing Championships, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama secured the men's foil gold medal, while Kazakhstan's Irina Bakaldina made history by winning her country's first-ever individual women's epee title at the championships. The event, which serves as a key qualifier for the upcoming Asian Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, saw intense competition and several upsets among top contenders.
Indian Fencers Show Promise on Home Soil
The Indian contingent delivered notable performances on home ground. In women's epee, Prachi Lohan led with a 22nd-place finish, followed by Taniksha Khatri in 29th, Mitva Jesangbhai Chaudhari in 35th, and Yashkeerat Kaur Hayer in 43rd. In men's foil, Sachin Sachin was the top Indian at 25th, with Sanasam Hemash Singh (37th), Tejas Manoj Patil (47th), and Aditya Aditya (57th) also competing.
Favorites Fall in Quarterfinals
The day saw major upsets. In men's foil, Hong Kong's reigning Olympic gold medalist Cheung Ka Long was defeated in the quarterfinals by South Korea's Im Cheolwoo, finishing 6th. Defending Asian champion Choi Chun Yin Ryan of Hong Kong also lost in the quarterfinals to Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama, ending 5th. In women's epee, defending champion Song Se-ra of South Korea was stopped in the semifinals by Kazakhstan's Irina Bakaldina, settling for bronze.
All-Japanese Final in Men's Foil
The men's foil final featured an all-Japanese clash between Kyosuke Matsuyama and Kazuki Iimura. Matsuyama emerged victorious to claim gold, while Iimura took silver. South Korea's Im Cheolwoo and Jeonghyun Youn shared the bronze medals.
Historic Gold for Kazakhstan in Women's Epee
Irina Bakaldina of Kazakhstan defeated Hong Kong's Kaylin Sin Yan Hsieh in a fierce final to win the women's epee gold, marking Kazakhstan's first individual women's epee title at the championships. Hsieh earned silver, while bronze went to Japan's Tamaki Terayama and South Korea's Song Se-ra.
Japan Leads Medal Tally Ahead of Team Events
With these results, Japan leads the championship with three gold medals from the first four events. The individual standings set the stage for the team events, which begin tomorrow and are expected to be highly competitive.
