Naorem Roshibina Devi Advances to Final in Women's Wushu at Asian Games
Roshibina Secures Spot in Gold Medal Match
Naorem Roshibina Devi
Nagoya, Sept 23: Naorem Roshibina Devi from Manipur has successfully reached the final of the women’s 60kg Wushu Sanda event at the Asian Games, guaranteeing at least a silver medal for India and marking her third consecutive medal at the continental level.
In the semifinals, Roshibina triumphed over Indonesia’s Kusumaningtyas Thania with a score of 2-0, securing her place in the gold medal match.
This victory adds to her impressive medal tally, having previously earned a bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Games and a silver in the same category at the 2023 Asian Games.
Earlier in the quarterfinals, she showcased her skills by defeating her opponent 5-0 on points, advancing confidently to the semifinals after starting her campaign with a win against Bangladesh’s Shika Khatun in the pre-quarterfinals.
This medal marks India’s first confirmed Wushu medal at the current Asian Games, with Roshibina now aiming for gold in the final.
Her selection for the Indian team had previously stirred controversy, as the Wushu Federation included her following the withdrawal of Divyanshi Chaudhary due to injury.
Divyanshi contested this decision, alleging unfair practices and asserting her fitness to compete, claiming that Roshibina had initially placed fourth in the selection trials and should not have made the team. However, she later accepted the federation's decision and shifted her focus to her recovery.
In the men’s 56kg quarterfinals, Aryan from India was eliminated after a close match, losing 1-2 to Uzbekistan’s Saydullo Abdurashitov.
On Tuesday, Hanjabam Langlentombi Devi finished ninth in the women’s Nanquan and Nandao final with a score of 18.839, while Nyeman Wangsu placed 15th in the women’s Changquan final.
Indian wushu athletes have shown promising performances throughout the Games, with Suraj Singh Mayanglambam narrowly missing a podium finish on Sunday.