🇯🇵 SANO YUI STUNS FIELD TO CAPTURE MAIDEN ASIAN SABRE TITLE

NEW DELHI, INDIA — 20 JUNE 2026

Japan’s World number 59 Sano Yui produced the performance of her career on the second day of the 2026 Asian Fencing Championships, capturing the women's individual sabre continental title. Competing in New Delhi, the unheralded Japanese sabreur navigated a highly competitive draw before defeating Korea's Choi Sebin 15–12 in a high-intensity gold medal bout.

The spectacular victory marks Sano's first ever senior individual international medal, crowning her as the new continental champion.

While Choi added an Asian silver to the World Cup silver medal she secured in Lima this May, Uzbekistan’s Gulistan Perdebaeva and China’s Rao Xueyi took home the individual bronze medals.

Path to the Podium

Sano Yui (World number 59) established excellent rhythm early in the morning session, winning five of her six poule matches to secure the number three seed for the direct elimination stages. Following a first-round bye, Sano routinely dispatched Australia's Tang 15–9 before showing immense poise in the last 16 to edge out Korea's World number 32 Seo Jiyeon 15–14. Sano then dominated her quarter-final matchup against Kazakhstan's World number 43 Karina Gulik 15–7 and booked her final spot with a 15–10 semi-final win over Perdebaeva.

Choi Sebin (World number 34) manufactured a brilliant run to the final to secure a well-deserved silver medal. Seeded 12th after winning four of her five poule bouts, the Korean athlete opened her direct elimination by surviving a heart-stopping 15–14 cliffhanger against India's Bhavani Devi. She backed that up with a commanding 15–10 victory over her World number 11 international teammate Jeon Hayoung. After turning aside Singapore's World number 37 Jessica Heng 15–12 in the quarter-finals, Choi put on an absolute clinic in the semi-finals by routing Rao 15–4 but ultimately fell just short against Sano.

Rao Xueyi (World number 24) reestablished her top-tier regional credentials, capturing a bronze medal to go along with the bronze she secured at the Tashkent World Cup earlier in the season. Entering the elimination bracket as the number nine seed, Rao put on an exhibition of rapid, aggressive sabre play to storm past Hong Kong's Leung 15–5 and Kazakhstan's Sarybay 15–5. She guaranteed her spot on the podium by showing great tactical discipline to hold off Hong Kong's World number 49 Sit 15–13 in a tight quarter-final bout.

Gulistan Perdebaeva (World number 65) celebrated a historic career milestone, navigating a difficult path to capture her first ever senior individual international medal. Seeded seventh after winning four of her five poule matches, the Uzbek talent opened with a 15–4 rout of India's Gupta before showing immense composure to clip Japan's World number 36 Misaki Kaneko 15–14. Perdebaeva locked down her bronze medal with a stunning quarter-final performance, dismantling China's World number 16 Pan Qiaoyan 15–5.

Full results are here.