India’s Bhavani Devi won the gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Fencing Championship here, defending the title she won last time. The 42nd ranked Indian defeated second seeded Australian Veronika Vasileva 15-10 in the senior women’s sabre individual category final on Tuesday.

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Since becoming the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, the Chennai-born Bhavani has had a steady rise. The year began with the World Cup in Istanbul where she finished 23rd after missing out on a spot in the last 32. Her World Championship campaign in July at Cairo ended in the second round. The Commonwealth Fencing Championship is her 10th international tournament this year.