Indian Wushu player Roshibina Devi entered the women’s 60kg Sanda final at the Asian Games on Wednesday, assuring India of at least a silver medal and matching the country’s best-ever result in Wushu at the Games.Roshibina defeated Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal to book her place in the final.The 25-year-old was not part of India’s original squad for the Games. She got into the team after Divyanshi suffered an injury, opening up a place in the squad.Roshibina had won silver at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou. With a place in the final this time, she is guaranteed at least another silver and will now fight for gold.She will face China’s Zhang Xiaoyu in the women’s 60kg Sanda final on Thursday.Roshibina has now won medals in three successive editions of the Asian Games, having claimed a bronze medal and a silver medal in the previous two editions.Asian Games full coverage | Schedule | Medal tally
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 and now defeating Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal.She will face China’s Zhang Xiaoyu in the women’s 60kg Sanda final on Thursday at 6:10 am IST.
