Who is Shruti Joshi, the 23-Year-Old Fencer Bringing Home Commonwealth Gold?

A year ago, Shruti Joshi was celebrating becoming the first fencer from Nagpur to win a National Games medal. Last month, she broke another barrier: the first fencer from her city to represent India at the World Fencing Championships.

Now she is coming home from Lagos with gold around her neck. The 23-year-old CISF sportsperson helped India win the women’s team sabre gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Nigeria, adding it to the individual bronze she had already won at the tournament. For a sport that rarely commands the attention cricket, badminton or athletics receive in India, Joshi is quietly putting together a fascinating rise. So, who is she?

Where does Shruti Joshi come from?

Joshi comes from Nagpur, and her beginnings make the trajectory particularly striking. The Times of India reported ahead of last month's World Championships that she was born into a middle-class family in Mangalwari near Itwari. Her father, Dharmendra Joshi, works as a private car driver, while her mother Saroj is a homemaker. There was no obvious fencing pedigree waiting for her at home. What followed has been a series of firsts.

What had she achieved before the Commonwealth gold?

In 2025, Joshi became Nagpur's first National Games medallist in fencing. Then came an even bigger breakthrough. In July this year, the Fencing Association of India picked her for the World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong, making the 23-year-old the first fencer from Nagpur to represent India at the Worlds. She was part of India's four-member women's sabre team alongside Shreya Gupta, Jefarlin Jani and Aakhri. Before that, Joshi had also represented India at the Asian Senior Fencing Championships in New Delhi. Official International Fencing Federation results show her competing in the senior women's individual sabre event there in June.

What has she done in Lagos?

Two events. Two medals. Joshi first claimed bronze in the women's individual sabre competition at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. She then returned for the team competition and helped India take gold in women's team sabre, completing the biggest international medal haul of her career so far. The Commonwealth Fencing Federation confirms that the senior championships are being staged in Lagos from August 9-14. Unlike the Commonwealth Games, fencing's Commonwealth Championships are conducted independently and are held every four years in the same year as the Games.

How quickly has her career taken off?

Very quickly. In 2025, Joshi became Nagpur’s first National Games fencing medallist. By June 2026, she was representing India at the Asian Senior Fencing Championships. A month later, she became Nagpur’s first fencer to compete at the World Championships. And in August, she added two more international medals to her growing tally, winning individual bronze and team gold at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships. The Times of India describes Lagos as another milestone in a career that has been climbing rapidly over the past year.

Where does she train?

Joshi has been training under coach Sagar Lagu at the Sports Authority of India centre in Kerala, according to The Times of India. For the Commonwealth campaign, CISF also credits its fencing coaching set-up under Gaurav Kumar for the training and support provided to Joshi. She is one of a growing group of sportspersons supported by the Central Industrial Security Force, which recruits and backs athletes alongside their service careers.

What is the bigger goal?

This is where the story gets interesting. Joshi has already said what she is chasing next: Los Angeles 2028. Speaking to The Times of India before the World Championships, she said her goal was to perform internationally, accumulate ranking points and ultimately try to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games. Commonwealth gold doesn't get her there by itself. But consider where she was a year ago. A first National Games medal for Nagpur became a World Championships appearance. That has now become Commonwealth bronze and gold. For Shruti Joshi, the sword is moving rather quickly. And at 23, Lagos may be considerably closer to the beginning of her story than the end.

(With inputs from ANI & yMedia)