Zhang dominated the final from the beginning, defeating Roshibina 5-0 in both rounds. Despite the loss, the Manipur athlete produced an impressive campaign throughout the tournament and secured her second consecutive silver medal at the Asian Games.
Roshibina reached the final after defeating Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semifinal. Earlier in the competition, she had also defeated reigning world champion Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy of Vietnam, making her run to the final particularly notable.
Born on December 30, 2000, in Kwashipai Mayai Leikai village in Bishnupur district of Manipur, Roshibina Devi established herself in the sanda category of wushu at a young age. Her international breakthrough came at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, where she won a bronze medal.
She improved on that performance at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, winning the silver medal. In recognition of her performances and contribution to sport, the Government of India honoured her with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2023.
However, Roshibina’s journey to the 2026 Asian Games was also surrounded by controversy. In the initial selection, the Indian Wushu Association selected Divyanshi Chaudhary in the 60kg category, while Roshibina was not included in the main team. Divyanshi was later ruled out after suffering a ligament injury to her knee, following which the association included Roshibina in her place.
After being dropped from the team, a video featuring Divyanshi Chaudhary circulated widely on social media in which she made several serious allegations against Roshibina and the association. Divyanshi claimed that she was excluded despite being declared fit and alleged that she had been subjected to mental and physical harassment.
Roshibina overcame the controversy and mental pressure surrounding her campaign to once again deliver on the Asian Games stage. Although she missed out on the gold medal, her second successive silver at the Asian Games marks another significant milestone in her wushu career and adds to India’s medal tally at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
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