Meet Dippanshi Netam, the Chhattisgarh fencer dreaming of Olympic glory

Dippanshi Netam is one of the promising young foil fencers from Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. The tribal athlete has made a name for herself through impressive performances at national and international competitions. She recently won gold in the women’s foil event at the 1st Senior Ranking Fencing Tournament 2026-27 in Ahmedabad. The victory marked another important achievement in her career as she continues to make progress at the senior level.

Speaking to WION’s Aditya Bhatia, Netam opened up about her journey, experiences at international competitions, preparations for matches and her dream of representing India at the Olympics.

On where she sees herself in the coming years

She said, “I want to perform at my best. Just as I won a medal at the senior ranking event, I want to keep performing at a higher level and do well at the senior nationals. And in the Asian trials that we have for the Olympics, I want to give my best and represent India.”

On what she learned from watching the Asian Championships

Netam said, “I went to watch the boys’ and girls’ foil matches. Their technique, speed, their thinking, like setting traps and playing tactically, plus the speed, agility and confidence level: I really liked seeing all of that. And I learned some new techniques too.”

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On how her fencing journey began

Speaking about her introduction to the sport, Netam said, “I’m from Chhattisgarh. My father works at BSP in Bhilai, and my mother is a housewife. One of my relatives suggested fencing, saying I could go, join and try it out. So, I started going to regular training. Then I played one or two competitions and my interest grew, because the sport has tactical thinking, speed, agility, all of that. So, then I joined properly.”

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On her first international competition during the COVID-19 pandemic

Netam, who is sponsored by Vijayi Bharat Foundation (VBF), recalled, “It was my first competition, so I was nervous and didn’t really know anyone. We were kept very separate, we weren’t meeting much and there were a lot of tests too. So it was good, but I didn’t get to learn or explore much, because we were in our rooms all the time. Even in the competition arena we stayed in our own separate area, didn’t come close to others, didn’t talk much.”

On her routine on the day of a competition

She explained, “Usually it’s the same routine. It depends on the time: I have to get there two hours before the match, so I wake up before that, get ready and go. It’s not very different. I try to keep it like my usual daily session routine and not do anything new or different, so my body stays in its usual rhythm and doesn’t react differently. Then my focus is just on staying present in the match: focus on one match at a time and play for every single point. I try to focus on the present.”