Roshibina Devi Takes Asian Games Wushu Silver After Late Call-Up

Naorem Roshibina Devi won silver in the women’s 60kg wushu sands final at the 2026 Asian Games, extending her run of medals at the continental event despite receiving a late call-up to the Indian squad. The 25-year-old lost 0-2 to Xiaoyu of China on Thursday at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall.

Roshibina’s medal was her third in successive Asian Games appearances. She had won silver in the previous edition and bronze in 2018, and her latest finish came after a preparation period she said was disrupted by the circumstances surrounding her inclusion.

She was not part of India’s initial team and said she learned around September 10 that she had been selected. Roshibina then travelled from her home in Manipur without much training, having been out of the national camp after losing the June trials in Srinagar.

Chinese opponent controls the final

Xiaoyu won both two-minute rounds by unanimous 5-0 decisions from the five judges, sealing the final 2-0. In the opening round, the judges’ scores in Xiaoyu’s favour were 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and 8-2.

The Chinese athlete increased her advantage in the second round. The five judges scored it 10-2, 8-3, 7-3, 7-3 and 6-1 for Xiaoyu, completing a decisive victory for the Chinese player.

Roshibina said after the bout that she had been unable to deliver the gold medal she wanted for India. She also credited coach Amit Pal for supporting her journey to the Games and said she would seek to learn from the defeat ahead of future events.

Discussing the final, Roshibina said Xiaoyu was a new opponent for her and highlighted the Chinese fighter’s side-kicks. She said she attempted to defend and to throw her opponent, but Xiaoyu performed better in the bout.

Pal also pointed to the short preparation time available to Roshibina. He said she had been away from the national camp for one and a half months after the June trials, then had limited training after being named in the team before travelling to the Games.

Late selection follows withdrawal and allegations

Roshibina entered the squad after original selection Divyanshi Choudhary was withdrawn with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Roshibina had lost to Divyanshi in the Srinagar trials in June.

Divyanshi later accused Roshibina of mental harassment. Roshibina said she would ignore the accusation and focus on her goal, adding that her selection was the federation’s decision rather than her own. She said the situation had caused disturbance during her Asian Games build-up.

The silver nonetheless represents another continental podium for the athlete from Kwasiphai Mayai Leikai in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. Roshibina’s father, Naorem Damu Singh, initially did not want her to take up wushu but later supported her passion for the sport. According to the account, he sold a piece of land in her early years to help fund training and travel.

For Roshibina, the result adds a third Asian Games medal while leaving a clear focus for the next stage of her career: more preparation, lessons from the final and another attempt to improve on silver at upcoming Games.