Cadet national fencing championship

Khelo India Youth Games: The phone of Manipur fencer Zenith S.H started ringing soon after his epee final against Tamil Nadu’s N. Anbless Gowin in the Khelo India Youth Games 2023. It was his mother SH Romola Devi, who was calling to find out what panned out in his match on Sunday.

Hailing from Imphal East, Zenith credits his mother for whatever he has achieved in fencing. She decided to push Zenith to take up the sport at the academy adjacent to their home.

Fencing is an expensive sport and Zenith’s father SH Arlex, who runs a neighbourhood grocery store, had to dig deep into the family’s resources to support his training till the youngster began making a mark on the national circuit and was selected to train at the Guwahati campus of Sports Authority of India after reaching the quarterfinals of the Sub-Junior Nationals in 2021-22.