India is set to host one of the biggest fencing events in Asia for the first time when the Asian Senior Fencing Championships 2026 gets underway in New Delhi.
The championship is not only a landmark moment for Indian fencing but also a significant event on the road to the Asian Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.
Venue
The Asian Senior Fencing Championships 2026 will be held at Bharat Mandapam, one of India's premier international convention and sporting venues located in New Delhi.
The venue gained global recognition after hosting major events, including the G20 Summit, and will now welcome Asia's top fencing stars for six days of elite competition.
Dates
The championship is scheduled to take
place from June 19 to June 24, 2026.
In addition to the competition, New Delhi will also host the 39th Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA) General Assembly, marking the first time India has hosted the governing body's annual meeting.
Countries Participating
A total of 32 nations will compete at the championship.
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Chinese Taipei
- Hong Kong
- India
- Iran
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lebanon
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Syria
- Thailand
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
The event will feature many of Asia's traditional fencing powerhouses, including Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong.
Events
The championship will feature 12 medal events, divided equally between men's and women's competitions.
Individual Events
- Men's Foil
- Men's Épee
- Men's Sabre
- Women's Foil
- Women's Épee
- Women's Sabre
Team Events
- Men's Foil Team
- Men's Épee Team
- Men's Sabre Team
- Women's Foil Team
- Women's Épee Team
- Women's Sabre Team
A total of 48 medals will be awarded, including 12 gold medals, 12 silver medals and 24 bronze medals.
Why Is This Championship Important?
The Asian Senior Fencing Championships is regarded as the continent's premier annual fencing event and is often described as the "Asia Cup" of fencing.
Beyond continental titles, the championship carries major significance because it serves as:
- A direct pathway towards Asian Games qualification.
- A crucial ranking event for international fencing.
- An important step in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification cycle.
- A rare opportunity for Asian fencers to compete against Olympic champions and world-class opposition.
For India, hosting the event provides home athletes with valuable exposure against elite competition while helping grow the sport domestically.
Which Olympic Champions Will Compete?
The championship will feature some of the biggest names in world fencing.
Cheung Ka Long (Hong Kong)
The reigning two-time Olympic Individual Foil gold medallist and one of the sport's biggest global stars.
Oh Sang-uk (South Korea)
The Olympic Individual Sabre champion and one of fencing's most recognizable figures.
Yamada Masaru (Japan)
An Olympic gold medallist and one of the strongest competitors in Men's Épee.
Their presence ensures that Indian fans will get a rare opportunity to watch Olympic-level fencing live.
Who Are India's Biggest Medal Hopes?
India will field a full-strength contingent of 24 athletes led by some of the country's most accomplished fencers.
Bhavani Devi
India's fencing pioneer became the country's first-ever Olympic fencer when she qualified for Tokyo 2020. She also created history by winning India's first medal at the Asian Championships with a bronze in 2023.
Karan Singh
A leading sabre fencer who won silver at the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Paris 2024.
Tanishka Khatri
One of India's fastest-rising epee talents and a promising contender on the continental stage.
Gisho Nidhi
An experienced sabre specialist who brings valuable international exposure to the Indian team.
What Exactly Is Fencing?
Fencing is one of the oldest Olympic sports and is based on traditional sword fighting.
Athletes score points, known as "touches", by striking valid target areas on their opponents using electronic scoring systems.
The sport consists of three disciplines:
Foil
A lightweight thrusting weapon where only the torso counts as a valid target.
Épee
A heavier weapon where the entire body is a target area.
Sabre
The fastest and most aggressive discipline, where fencers can score using both the edge and tip of the blade above the waist.
Matches often last only a few minutes, with points scored in fractions of a second.
What Makes This Event Unique?
The New Delhi championship will also become a testing ground for cutting-edge sports technology.
Ahead of the tournament, the Fencing Association of India conducted the world's first training workshop for an AI Video Referral System. The technology is designed to assist referees with decision-making and improve officiating accuracy through artificial intelligence.
If successful, the system could become a model for future international fencing competitions.
Why Is This a Landmark Moment for India?
Hosting the Asian Senior Fencing Championships represents far more than staging a tournament.
For the first time, India will welcome the continent's best fencers, Olympic champions, administrators and technical officials under one roof. The event is expected to boost awareness of fencing, inspire young athletes and strengthen India's position as an emerging destination for major international sporting events.
As the road to Los Angeles 2028 begins to take shape, New Delhi will briefly become the centre of Asian fencing - a moment that could have a lasting impact on the sport's future in India.
