Manipur's Thingujam Diana is first Indian to clear FIE sabre referee exam

Manipur's Thingujam Diana has become the first Indian to pass the International Fencing Federation's (FIE) international referee examination in sabre, the Manipur Fencing Association has said.

The examination was held from October 27 to 30 at Isa Sports City in Manama, Bahrain, and was conducted by the FIE Referee Committee. Diana was one of six candidates who cleared it, out of 25 who sat the test, the association said in a release, The Sangai Express reported.

Diana is the daughter of Thingujam Shyamchandra and Thingujam Ongbi Shanti Devi of Langol Game Village in Imphal. The Manipur Fencing Association congratulated her on the result and wished her well in her career as an international official.

Why it matters

The FIE, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is the world governing body for fencing and runs the sport at the Olympic Games and world championships. Only referees who hold its international licence can officiate at FIE-sanctioned events such as World Cups, Grand Prix tournaments and continental and world championships.

Fencing has three weapons: foil, epee and sabre. Sabre is the fastest of the three. Points can be scored with both the edge and the point of the blade on any part of the body above the waist, and the referee has to decide "right of way" when both fencers hit at almost the same moment. That makes sabre refereeing especially demanding, and the pass rate in Bahrain, under one in four, reflects how tough the test is.

With the licence, Diana can now be appointed to officiate sabre bouts at international competitions, giving India a voice on the piste in a discipline where the country has so far had no international referee.

A fencing state

Manipur is one of India's stronger fencing states, and the Manipur Fencing Association regularly sends fencers and officials to national and Asian events. A home-grown international referee is also expected to help the state run better-officiated competitions and train younger technical officials.

The association said it hoped Diana's achievement would encourage more young people in Manipur to take up not only fencing but also roles as referees and officials, where India still has few representatives at the international level.