Chadalavada Anandha Sundhararaman Bhavani Devi, commonly known as C. A. Bhavani Devi, is an Indian fencer specialising in the sabre event. She is the first Indian fencer to qualify for and compete at the Olympic Games, having represented India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She is widely regarded as a pioneer of the sport in India, where fencing has historically had a limited competitive base.
| Full name | Chadalavada Anandha Sundhararaman Bhavani Devi |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 August 1993, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Sport | Fencing |
| Weapon | Sabre |
| Country | India |
| Coach | Nicola Zanotti (among others) |
| Olympic debut | Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021) |
| Notable distinction | First Indian fencer to compete at the Olympic Games |
Bhavani Devi was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She took up fencing at the age of around ten while studying at the Muruga Dhanushkodi Girls Higher Secondary School in Chennai, after the sport was introduced as part of a school programme. She went on to train at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Thalassery, Kerala, where she developed her competitive base in the sabre discipline.
Her early career was marked by financial difficulties, and her training was supported in part through funding from the Tamil Nadu government, the GoSports Foundation's Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme, and Veda Krishnamurthy's foundation, among others. She has trained extensively in Italy under coach Nicola Zanotti.
Bhavani Devi's achievements have brought visibility to fencing in India, a sport with limited institutional infrastructure compared to disciplines such as cricket, hockey, and shooting. Her qualification for the Tokyo Olympics is regarded as a landmark for Indian fencing, prompting greater interest from sports federations, sponsors, and state governments. She has been a recipient of the Arjuna Award (2020) for her contribution to the sport.