Kolkata: Para fencing players from Bengal have done the state proud by winning 15 medals at National Para Fencing Championship held at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Bengal stood third among 18 states. Haryana topped, followed by Odisha.“Of the 15 players, nine were male and six female fencers. We will work harder to improve our medal tally,” said the team coach, Santosh Pandey. The 15 medals include one silver and 14 bronzes, five in individual events and the rest in group. Krishna Sharma and Ahmad Gazi were individual winners.The show of resilience and courage by para fencers stole the show. Apurba Samanta, who suffered a spinal cord injury after an accident in 2017, took up the sport in 2021. “I dream of representing the country in Paralympics some day,” said Samanta. The Midnapore boy, who works as a wheelchair skill trainer at INK Kolkata, trains at least twice a week.“These players are highly motivated, some of them come to Kolkata from Bolpur, Krishnangar and Arambagh to train. But we do not get the right kind of fund and support,” said Prasenjit Sarkar, president West Bengal Wheelchair Fencing Association.The players were accompanied by team managers—Humadri Mondal for men and Priyanka Biswas for women. “Our para athletes are doing well and winning laurels,” said Chandan Roy Chowdhury, president Bengal Paralympics Association.
