New Delhi: C A Bhavani Devi, the first Sabre Fencer from India to take part in the Olympics, today interacted with students of MCC Higher Secondary School Chennai, accepting the Prime Minister’s request to create awareness among children about sports and health.
More than 700 students attended the ‘Meet the Champion’ programme, organised by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and State Department of Education. She shared her experiences at the Olympics and discussed the importance of diet and exercise for athletes.
Bhavani Devi thanked the Prime Minister for his constant encouragement to the athletes. She said she feared she would not be able to attend the Olympics due to the Corona pandemic. Bhavani Devi added she had worked hard for the Olympics for 16 years and her mother had been very supportive of all her endeavors.
She also said she started her practice at the age of 11 and was confident of winning a gold medal at the next Olympics. Bhavani Devi said since she was a woman, she had faced various difficulties in the field of sports and she was able to participate in the Olympics due to her involvement in the sport.
She encouraged students to take note of the fact that nutritious foods, vegetables and fruits are available in our town and that they can achieve in sports only with proper training. She also said the Central Government was taking various measures to promote sports, adding that various state-of-the-art training centers and coaches were being newly added.
Stating that the Government of Tamil Nadu had allocated Rs 25 crore for sports, Bhavani said it would be better if a fencing training center is set up. She also said that the Central and State governments have allocated huge funds for sports.
Bhavani Devi answered to students’ questions and cheered them on by playing badminton with them for a while.
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