The Senior Asian Fencing Championships 2026 began on Friday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with South Korea's Oh Sanguk and Japan's Yuka Ueno claiming gold medals in the men's sabre and women's foil events, respectively.
Men's Sabre: Oh Sanguk Dominates
Oh Sanguk, a global fencing star from South Korea, defeated China's Luo Shaotong in the final to take the gold. South Korea's Do Gyeongdong and Japan's Tsumori Shido shared the bronze medals. India's Vishal Thapar finished 22nd, Karan Singh placed 25th, and Gisho Nidhi Kumaresan Padma ended 28th. Lakshay Badser narrowly missed the top-32 bracket, finishing 33rd.
Women's Foil: Yuka Ueno Leads Japanese Sweep
World No. 5 Yuka Ueno won the women's foil gold in an all-Japan final against Sera Azuma, who took silver. Japan's Komaki Kikuchi and Hong Kong's Daphne Chan Nok Sze shared bronze. India's Kanupriya Chawla finished 20th, while Joys Ashitha Stalinraj (43rd), Naorem Mina Devi (45th), and Sonia Devi Waikhom (46th) gained valuable experience.
The championships continue with other weapon disciplines, setting the stage for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Indian fencers demonstrated competitiveness against Asia's elite at Bharat Mandapam.
