Chandigarh teen Kashvi selected for Indian fencing team

Chandigarh-based Kashvi Garg, 16, has been included in the Indian fencing team which will be competing in the upcoming Fencing Grand Prix 2022 for senior men and women epee event from January 28 to 30 at Doha in Qatar

Chandigarh-based Kashvi Garg, 16, has been included in the Indian fencing team which will be competing in the upcoming Fencing Grand Prix 2022 for senior men and women epee event from January 28 to 30 at Doha in Qatar. The selection trials for this event were conducted last week at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Campus, Amritsar.

Chandigarh’s Kashvi happens to be the youngest player not only in the selected Indian squad, but also in the entire tournament that will have around 150 top-ranking fencing players from all over the world.

The Fencing Association of India (FAI) had invited the best 32 epee fencers (men and women) for the selection trials on the basis of their past performance and ranking in the national and international championships and finally shortlisted top eight men and eight women fencers for team India.

Kashvi happens to be the youngest player not only in the selected Indian squad, but also in the entire tournament that will have around 150 top-ranking fencing players from all over the world. Kashvi is a student of Class 11, Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh, pursuing medical studies.

“This is a very prestigious tournament and based on the performance in this tournament, players get the points that are taken into consideration while deciding their world ranking,” quipped Kashvi. When asked if she is excited about the tournament, she says, “Of course, this is my first big tournament where I will get to compete with the best players of the world and it will be a huge learning experience for me,” added the young fencer, who honed her skills under guidance of senior coach Charanjit Kaur and Mukesh Kumar.

Kashvi is two-time national gold medallist and has also represented the country previously in the 41st International Children Fencing Tournament that was held at Wroclaw, Poland, in 2018. Apart from this, she was also awarded with a commendation certificate by the Chandigarh administration’ on the Republic day last year for her achievements in the field of sports. Kashvi is also the child rights ambassador for the Chandigarh Commission of protection for child rights (CCPCR).