Roshibina Devi secured a silver medal for India at the Asian Games 2026 after finishing runner-up in the women’s 60kg Wushu Sanda event. The Indian athlete was defeated by China’s Xiaoyu Zhang in the gold-medal bout on Thursday.
The medal adds another chapter to Roshibina’s impressive Asian Games record. She had previously won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and followed it with a silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
With her latest medal, Roshibina has now won three Asian Games medals. India’s overall Wushu tally at the Asian Games has also reached 11 medals, comprising one gold, two silver and eight bronze. India have won 14 medals overall at the 2026 Games so far — one gold, six silver and seven bronze.
Roshibina’s Road to the Silver Medal
Roshibina began her 2026 campaign with a convincing 5-0 victory over Macao’s Chu Man Sin in the quarterfinals, securing her place on the medal podium.
She then defeated Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal to book her place in the final. However, she could not overcome China’s Xiaoyu Zhang in the title clash, losing the bout 0-2 and settling for silver.
From Manipur’s Farming Family to Asian Games Glory
Roshibina hails from Kwasiphai in Bishnupur district of Manipur and comes from a farming family. She trains in the Women’s Sanda 60kg category at the Sports Authority of India’s NCOE in Imphal under coach Maibam Premkumar Singh.
Over the years, she has established herself among India’s leading Wushu athletes. Her Asian Games journey began with a bronze medal in Jakarta in 2018 before she improved her result to silver at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023. She became only the second Indian Wushu athlete to win a silver medal at the Asian Games.
Her performances have also earned her the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting honour, along with the International Wushu Federation’s Female Wushu Athlete of the Year title in the Sanda category.
Injury Opens the Door After Trial Setback
Roshibina’s place in the 2026 Asian Games squad came after an unexpected turn of events. She had lost to Divyanshi Choudhary during the selection trials and initially missed out on the seven-member Indian Wushu squad approved by the Sports Ministry in August.
However, Roshibina was later included in the team after Divyanshi was ruled out because of an injury.
Divyanshi subsequently disputed the decision, claiming that she was fully fit and alleging foul play. She also accused the federation of favouring Roshibina, who had initially finished fourth in the trials.
Roshibina ultimately made the most of the opportunity, progressing through the competition to win her third Asian Games medal and another silver for India.