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Khelo India University Games: Duelling her path to podiums
After winning silver in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the Junior Asian Cup, Taniksha, 19, now sees Olympics dreams
Ace fencer Taniksha Khatri, a Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development athlete, has two role models in her life: her policeman father and former world champion Nathalie Moellhausen, who has represented Italy and Brazil in the combat sport.
Taniksha, a 19-year-old who’s pursuing graduation from Guru Nanak Dev University in Karnal (Haryana), is preparing to showcase her fencing skills at the third edition of the Khelo India University Games.
The TOPS is a major initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports aimed at providing support to the country’s top athletes.
For Taniksha, her father is her idol as he taught her never to accept defeat and to rise again in case of failure. In her sport, she admires Nathalie the most after having trained under her for five months in Paris.
Recalling her training period with Nathalie, Taniksha said Nathalie became the world champion in 2019 but struggled for a podium finish for the next three to four years. The Indian fencer said she wanted to learn how Nathalie kept her morale high and kept herself focused during the difficult phase.
Talking about her journey in fencing, Taniksha said her first stint with the sport was during a school summer camp in 2015. She liked the game and decided to pursue it. “I’ve gained extensive experience at national and international levels. I’ve been playing senior and cadet national fencing for seven years. Currently, I hold the number one position in the senior and junior categories of fencing in India.”
After having won silver in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England and the Junior Asian Cup in Uzbekistan the same year, Taniksha has set her eyes on the 2028 Olympics.
About the Khelo India Games, Taniksha emphasised that the event was important to provide exposure to athletes. She believed that all disciplines organised under the Khelo India banner were crucial for young athletes. “The more competitions athletes participate in, the more exposure and experience they gain,” she said.
