Odisha boy Bibhuti Sankar Patel made the State proud by winning the one and only medal with a gold in the 13th Mini & 7th Child National Fencing Championship, which took place at Minatai Indoor Stadium in Nasik, Maharashtra from 5 to 7 July 2025.

A trainee of Balangir Sports Hostel, Bibhuti bagged the all-important gold medal in mini (under-12) epee category. Son of Nilamani Patel and Sangita Nayak, Bibhuti belongs to Bharatbahal village of Puintala block in Balangir district.

His younger brother Om Sankar Patel is also a fencer and won one silver medal in the Mini & Child National Championship last year in Cuttack. Om also participated in the current National championship but could not win any medal.

An 18-member squad, featuring 14 boys and four girls, represented Odisha in the Nasik National Mini & Child Fencing Championship. The squad was accompanied by coaches Sukanta Seth, Karishma Rout, Roshan Sahoo and Jyoti Ranjan Thakur.

Odisha State Fencing Association (OSFA) secretary Debendra Sahu and organising secretary Sumit Ranjan Purohit congratulated Bibhuti for his glorious achievement and thanked the State Sports & Youth Services Department (DSYS) for extending help and support to the State squad.
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PHOTO: Odisha boy Bibhuti Sankar Patel poses with his gold medal at the Mini & Child National Fencing Championship in Nasik on 7 July 2025.