NEW DELHI: Naorem Roshibina Devi has already established herself as one of India’s most consistent wushu performers at the Asian Games. On Tuesday, the Manipuri athlete added another chapter to that record, assuring herself of a third successive continental medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.Roshibina defeated Macao, China’s Chu Man Sin 5-0 in the women’s Sanda 60kg quarterfinal at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall to storm into the semifinals. The victory guarantees her at least a bronze medal, extending a remarkable run that began with bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and continued with silver at Hangzhou in 2023.Her latest medal comes after a selection controversy that had threatened to overshadow her return to the Asian Games squad.
Who is Roshibina Devi?
Born on December 30, 2000, in Kwasiphai Mayai Leikai in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, Roshibina competes in the Sanda discipline of wushu, a combat sport that combines striking and throwing techniques.She first announced herself on the Asian Games stage at Jakarta 2018, where she competed in the women’s 60kg Sanda category. Roshibina defeated Pakistan’s Mubashra Akhtar in the quarterfinals to assure herself of a medal before losing to China’s Cai Yingying in the semifinal.Five years later, at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Roshibina went one better. She reached the women’s 60kg final and claimed silver after losing to China’s Wu Xiaowei.Her performance at Hangzhou made her one of India’s established names in wushu, and she was subsequently conferred the Arjuna Award for 2023.At Aichi-Nagoya, Roshibina has now assured herself of another podium finish. She first defeated Bangladesh’s Shika Khatun in the pre-quarterfinals on Monday before producing a 5-0 victory over Chu Man Sin in the quarterfinals.She will fight in the semifinals on Wednesday with an opportunity to reach the gold-medal bout.
A selection controversy before Aichi-Nagoya
Roshibina’s inclusion in the Indian Asian Games squad, however, was not without controversy.Divyanshi Choudhary was initially named in India’s seven-member wushu squad released by the Sports Ministry on August 22, with a place in the women’s 60kg Sanda category. She was subsequently replaced by Roshibina after the Wushu Association of India (WAI) reported an injury.The WAI said an MRI examination showed Divyanshi had suffered a partial high-grade ACL tear with large effusion and that medical advice required her to refrain from competitive activity and full training until recovery.Divyanshi initially strongly objected to the decision. In a video that surfaced on social media, the athlete, who hails from Kota and trains at NIS Patiala, alleged that she had been mentally and physically harassed and claimed that Roshibina had been involved in the harassment of her and her family.“I am really fed up. I have been harassed so much mentally from June, July to now, it’s September, I am being harassed, because she (Roshibina) wanted to go (to the Asian Games),” Divyanshi said in the video.She also claimed that she had defeated Roshibina in a selection trial and questioned why she had been removed from the squad despite saying that doctors had cleared her to compete with the injury.Divyanshi alleged that doctors had told her she could participate with her knee taped and questioned why her medical reports had been used to make the decision without adequately informing her.
What did the Wushu Association say?
The WAI rejected allegations that Divyanshi’s removal was intended to accommodate Roshibina and maintained that the change was made solely on medical grounds.According to the federation, Divyanshi had sustained the injury during the 2026 SCO Wushu Sanda Championship in Hubei, China, in June. She returned to the national camp at NIS Patiala on August 10 after spending about a month at home.The federation said she complained of pain during training in August and, after her condition worsened, underwent an MRI at Manipal Hospital in Patiala on August 23.The MRI, according to the WAI, showed a partial high-grade ACL tear with large effusion. The report was subsequently reviewed by Sports Authority of India medical personnel and an orthopaedic doctor, who advised Divyanshi to refrain from competitive activity and full training until her recovery. Surgery was also advised, according to the federation’s account.Divyanshi later said she understood the federation’s decision, acknowledging that her health had to take priority and expressing her desire to return stronger for the 2030 Asian Games. However, she continued to allege that Roshibina had harassed her and her family. Those allegations have not been independently established.The Sports Ministry subsequently approved Roshibina’s inclusion as Divyanshi’s replacement through the injury-replacement process.
Roshibina’s Asian Games medal journey
Whatever the controversy surrounding her selection, Roshibina has allowed her performances in the arena to do the talking at Aichi-Nagoya.Her 5-0 quarterfinal victory over Chu Man Sin has assured India of its first wushu medal at the ongoing Games and secured Roshibina a place on the Asian Games podium for the third consecutive edition.Roshibina has also built an impressive record outside the Asian Games. She won gold at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships and the 2019 South Asian Games, while she also claimed gold at the 2023 Moscow Wushu Stars. Her performances in 2023 earned her the International Wushu Federation’s Female Athlete of the Year honour.
