Indian Epee Fencers Create History with Best-Ever Finish at World Championships

Hong Kong: Indian fencing reached a new milestone at the Senior World Fencing Championships 2026 as Épée fencers Taniksha Khatri and Prachi Lohan delivered the country's best-ever performance in the competition in Hong Kong.

Competing against more than 180 fencers at the AsiaWorld-Expo, both Taniksha and Prachi became the first Indian women's Épée fencers to qualify for the Main Table of 64 (Direct Elimination Round) at a Senior World Championships.

Taniksha produced the finest result by an Indian in the Women's Individual Épée event, finishing 43rd overall. Prachi also impressed with a 58th-place finish, marking the first time India had two women's Épée fencers among the top 60 at the World Championships. The other Indian participants in the event, Yashkeerat Kaur Hayer and Mitva Jesangbhai Chaudhari, finished 143rd and 150th, respectively.

Congratulating the athletes, Rajeev Mehta, Secretary General of both the Fencing Confederation of Asia and the Fencing Association of India, hailed the achievement as a defining moment for Indian fencing.

"This is a historic accomplishment by Taniksha Khatri and Prachi Lohan. Qualifying for the Main Table of 64 at the Senior World Championships is a landmark achievement that reflects their hard work, talent, and determination. It also highlights the steady rise of Indian fencing and will inspire many young athletes to pursue excellence at the international level," Mehta said.

In the Men's Individual Foil event, Sachin emerged as India's top performer with a 107th-place finish. He was followed by Aditya (137th), Sanasam Hemash Singh (143rd), and Tejas Manoj Patil (149th).

The championships will continue on Sunday with the concluding rounds of the Women's Individual Épée and Men's Individual Foil events before the focus shifts to the team competitions.

With inputs from IANS