Meet Chief Petty Officer Taniksha Khatri and Petty Officer Prachi Lohan: Indian Navy Fencers Who Created History at the 2026 World Fencing Championships

In a landmark moment for Indian fencing and the Indian Navy, two young sailors in uniform scripted history on the global stage. Chief Petty Officer Taniksha Khatri and Petty Officer Prachi Lohan became the first-ever Indian women épée fencers to qualify for the Main Table of 64 — the direct elimination stage — at the Senior World Fencing Championships 2026 in Hong Kong.

Competing at AsiaWorld-Expo against a field of elite athletes from more than 100 countries, the duo delivered performances that elevated Indian women’s épée to new heights. Khatri finished 43rd overall, delivering India’s highest-ever individual result in the event at a Senior World Championships. Lohan placed 58th. Both reached the prestigious Table of 64 for the first time in Indian fencing history.

Their achievement, confirmed by official Indian Navy communications and celebrated by the Fencing Association of India, underscores the growing role of the armed forces in nurturing Olympic and non-mainstream sports talent.

Taniksha Khatri: From Karnal to the World Stage

Taniksha Khatri was born on 23 September 2003 in Karnal, Haryana. At 22, the right-handed épée specialist stands 163–164 cm tall and weighs approximately 57 kg. She currently holds the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy.

Her father, Sonu Khatri, is a policeman and former athlete who had to step away from competitive sport due to a back injury. Taniksha first picked up a fencing weapon around 2015 during a summer camp organised at DAV Police Public School. She began in foil, winning gold in the under-14 category, before switching to épée on the advice of her coaches. She has trained extensively, including stints in France, and has been associated with coaches Mohit Ashwini and Nathalie Moellhausen.

Khatri’s junior career was marked by consistency and medals. She is a three-time Junior National Champion. In 2022 she claimed silver in both individual and team épée at the Commonwealth Junior Championships in London, and added a team silver at the Asian Junior Championships in Tashkent. At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou she reached the quarterfinals — then the best individual performance by an Indian fencer at the Games — before falling to higher-ranked opposition. She narrowly missed qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics and has continued building toward the Los Angeles 2028 cycle.

At the 2026 World Championships, Khatri produced a dominant pool stage, winning five of her six bouts to top her group and earn direct entry into the Table of 64. In the Round of 64 she faced Japan’s Rin Kishimoto and lost 12–15, securing 43rd place overall — a historic high for Indian women’s épée at this level.

Prachi Lohan: Continuing a Navy Legacy

Petty Officer Prachi Lohan, 20, represents the next generation of Indian épée talent. Also right-handed, she hails from Haryana and is closely associated with the Jind region (including the Rajpura area). She is an alumna of Indus Public School / IPS Senior Wing, Jind, where she studied from Class 2 and first developed her interest in fencing as a Class 7 student.

Her father retired as a Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy, creating a direct service connection that Prachi has continued. She has spoken of the institutional support and discipline that both her school and the Navy provided in her development as an international athlete.

Lohan announced herself on the continental stage with a bronze medal in the Cadet women’s épée event at the 2022 Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in Tashkent. In 2023 she captured the senior national title at the 33rd Senior National Fencing Championships in Balewadi, defeating Taniksha Khatri 15–14 in a closely contested final.

At the 2026 Worlds, Lohan finished fourth in her pool and then navigated the preliminary knockout rounds with determination. She recorded a 15–9 victory and followed it with a stunning 15–14 upset over China’s Yang Jingwen, then ranked World No. 25 and the top Chinese seed. In the Round of 64 she produced another narrow contest, falling 14–15 to Italy’s Giulia Rizzi — World No. 8 and a 2024 Olympic team épée gold medallist. Lohan finished 58th, completing a historic double qualification for India inside the top 60.

A Landmark for Indian Fencing and the Indian Navy

The Senior World Fencing Championships represent the highest level of competition outside the Olympic Games. Reaching the Main Table of 64 against the world’s strongest épée specialists is a significant milestone. No Indian woman had previously achieved this in épée at the senior world level.

Fencing Association of India and Fencing Confederation of Asia Secretary General Rajeev Mehta described the result as a proud moment: “I am immensely proud and delighted to witness this historic achievement by Taniksha Khatri and Prachi Lohan. Their qualification for the Main Table of 64 at the Senior World Fencing Championships is a landmark moment for Indian fencing and reflects their exceptional talent, dedication, and perseverance. This remarkable feat is a testament to the growing standard of Indian fencing and will inspire many young athletes to excel on the international stage.”

The Indian Navy officially highlighted the dual achievement, noting that both sailors had created an unprecedented milestone for the nation and the service. Their success illustrates the effectiveness of the armed forces’ sports quota and training ecosystem in supporting high-performance athletes in specialised disciplines.

Looking Ahead

Both fencers return from Hong Kong with valuable ranking points, international experience against the absolute elite, and the knowledge that they have rewritten the record books for Indian women’s épée. With the 2028 Olympic cycle underway, their breakthrough provides a foundation and inspiration for the next generation of Indian fencers.

Chief Petty Officer Taniksha Khatri and Petty Officer Prachi Lohan have shown that discipline forged in naval service, combined with years of rigorous training and institutional support, can produce results on the world stage. Their names are now permanently linked to a historic first for Indian fencing.