Sword Queen

JYOTIKA DUTTA, 20, Fencing, Patiala/Shimla

Silver Star Jyotika Dutta, a Commonwealth Games silver medalist in fencing, has been practising the sport for the past seven years. She has participated in almost all major events including the 2015 youth Asian championship (Mongolia), 2015 Junior Asian Championship (Bahrain), 2016 senior Asian Championship (China) and 2016 youth Asian Championship (Japan).

Score Card With national and international titles in her kitty, the young girl is an inspiration for other fencers and is touted to be one of the most promising sportspersons in the country.

The Introduction After her cousin, who is also into Fencing, introduced Dutta to the game, there has been no looking back.

The Adrenaline Rush “This is a game that requires very high level of concentration. It’s exciting to get into the psyche of the opponent and predict his next move,” says Dutta.

Facing Roadblocks “In order to advance my training, it is important that I go abroad but I am unable to do so owing to financial constraints,” she says.

Get, Set, Go At present, Dutta is training for the Asian Championship to be held in Hong Kong in June and the World Championship in Germany in July.

For advanced training I need to go abroad, but finance is a major constraint.