QUEEN'S ROAD: Meghana Shivakumar (18), the fencer from Karnataka, has already had a wonderful year. In the first six months, she represented the country in three international events and though she did not finish on the podium, she demonstrated in a tough sport like fencing that she is a medal prospect.
Meghana took to fencing after watching some action on the tube during the Asian Games and Olympics. Prakash R, secretary of the Fencing Association of Karnataka, saw a bright talent in this fencer and provided coaching and facilities.
Meghana has been representing the state junior and senior teams since 2009. Her first success came in 2011 when she bagged a bronze at the 3rd Federation Cup championships in Hyderabad.
After a few unsuccessful but determined efforts, she again won a bronze at the X Cadet National championship in Cuttack in 2014.
The Indian team’s talent spotters and coaches were quick to see her potential and she was selected for the Asian Cadet and Junior championship held at Abu Dhabi, UAE, earlier this year. Meghana, in the face of stiff competition, stood 35th in the tournament and was ranked 248 in the FIE junior classement by the international body for 2014-15.
Meghana went far ahead in the women’s team foil in the Commonwealth Cadet and Junior meet in Cape Town, South Africa in 2015 where she placed fourth. She placed 26th in the same championship and was ranked at 206 in the FIE Junior classement.
Be it Epee or foil, Meghana is good in all the disciplines and with her grit and determination, she is bound to grow in stature in the sport apart from bringing laurels to the state and the country.
Her first national meet was the XI National sub-junior and VI Cadet National championship held at Kalyan in Thane district of Maharashtra in 2009. And there has been no looking back ever since.
Meghana has been a permanent member of the state squad in almost every national championship and it is only a matter of time that Meghana will have something more than a bronze to show for her effort at the national and international level.