Tashkent, Dec 6 (IANS): In a landmark moment for Asian and Indian fencing, Rajeev Mehta was elected as the Secretary-General of the Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA) during the organisation's General Assembly on Sunday.

Mehta, who currently serves as the Secretary-General of the Fencing Association of India, becomes the first Indian to hold this prestigious continental leadership position.

Mehta getting elected as the Secretary-General represents a significant step forward for Indian sports leadership on the continental stage, highlighting the growing influence of Indian sports administrators in international sporting bodies.

With 46 member countries represented in the FCA, Mehta brings a wealth of sports administrative experience to the role. His impressive background includes serving as the President of the Fencing Association of India from 2017 to 2021. He was simultaneously the Secretary-General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Mehta has played an instrumental role in garnering sponsorships for IOA and has been one of the pillars as he initiated the process of awarding prize money to the medal winners of Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. He has also played a pivotal role in building relationships with the state Olympic Associations and National Federations even stronger by providing financial support, further uplifting the overall growth of sports in India.

"I passionately believe that strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders will help us gain better leverage for the advancement of FCA. Our goal is to usher in a new era of collaboration, openness, and transparency in fencing,” Mehta stated after taking the charge.

Mehta's platform focuses on several key initiatives: empowering national federations with equal support and opportunities, professionalizing the FCA's operations, enhancing organizational revenue, strengthening the sport's credibility, and upgrading competition standards across Asia.