Roshibina Devi Naorem’s Asian Games Hat-Trick: Manipuri Star Turns Selection Doubts Into Third Consecutive Wushu Medal

Naorem Roshibina Devi continued her remarkable run at the Asian Games, winning silver in the women's Sanda 60kg event at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya on Thursday to become the first Indian Wushu athlete to win medals at three consecutive editions of the continental showpiece.

The Manipuri had already won bronze at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games before upgrading it to silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. She has now successfully defended her silver-medal finish in the same Sanda category, adding another major achievement to an already decorated career.

The 25-year-old began her campaign strongly, defeating Macao's Chu Man Sin 5-0 in the quarterfinals. The win assured Roshibina of at least a bronze medal, with Wushu Sanda semifinalists guaranteed a place on the podium.

She then overcame Indonesia's Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal to book her place in the gold-medal bout.

Roshibina, however, could not complete the final step as China's Zhang Xiaoyu defeated her 0-2 to claim gold, leaving the Indian with silver.

Her run to the final had included a significant victory over Vietnam's 2023 world champion Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, further underlining the quality of her campaign.

Roshibina's remarkable Asian Games record

With Thursday's silver, Roshibina now has three medals from three successive Asian Games appearances.

She was only 17 when she won bronze in the women's Sanda 60kg event at Jakarta-Palembang in 2018. Five years later, she moved up to silver at Hangzhou 2023.

Her latest podium finish makes her the first Indian Wushu athlete to win medals at three consecutive Asian Games.

The achievement adds to an impressive resume that includes the Arjuna Award, India's second-highest sporting honour, and the International Wushu Federation's Female Wushu Athlete of the Year award in the Sanda category.

Born on December 30, 2000, Roshibina hails from Kwasiphai in Manipur's Bishnupur district and comes from a farming family. She trains at the SAI NCOE in Imphal under coach Maibam Premkumar Singh and competes in the women's Sanda 60kg category.

Selection controversy before Asian Games 2026

Roshibina's road to the Asian Games was complicated by an injury and a contentious selection process.

The Wushu athlete had been out with a knee injury and subsequently lost the selection trials to Divyanshi Choudhary.

As a result, Roshibina was initially left out of India's seven-member Wushu squad approved by the Sports Ministry on August 22, with Divyanshi selected for the women's 60kg Sanda event.

The situation changed after Divyanshi suffered a partial high-grade ACL tear during the 2026 SCO Wushu Sanda Championship in Hubei, China.

After returning to the national camp following a break in August, her injury was assessed through medical tests, following which the Wushu Association of India picked Roshibina as her replacement.

The Sports Ministry subsequently approved Roshibina's inclusion in the Asian Games squad.

The replacement decision also led to a public dispute. Divyanshi posted a video on social media in which she alleged that Roshibina had mentally and physically harassed her and her family, while also questioning the decision to remove her from the squad.

The Wushu Association of India rejected the allegations and said the selection change was made on medical grounds because of the seriousness of Divyanshi's injury.

Roshibina, meanwhile, put the controversy aside to focus on her competition and produced another podium finish on the biggest stage in Asia.

India fall short in other Wushu events

Roshibina was the only Indian Wushu athlete to reach the podium in Nagoya.

Among India's other Sanda competitors, Aryan was eliminated in the men's 56kg quarterfinals, while Aparna exited in the women's 52kg round of 16. Vikrant Baliyan lost in the opening round of the men's 75kg category.

India's Taolu competitors also failed to reach the podium rounds.

Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam finished ninth overall in the women's Nanquan and Nandao events with a combined score of 18.839.

Nyeman Wangsu finished 15th in the women's Changquan final with a score of 9.573, while Suraj Singh Mayanglambam placed 11th in the men's Changquan final.