Indian wushu athlete Roshibina Devi Naorem created a significant milestone at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, after winning the silver medal in the women’s 60kg Sanda category on September 24. Although she could not secure the gold medal, her latest podium finish completed a hat trick of Asian Games medals across three consecutive editions.
Roshibina faced China’s Zhang Xiaoyu in the gold medal bout at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall. Zhang controlled the contest and won the final 2 0. The Chinese athlete took both rounds by a 5 0 scoreline to claim the gold medal, while Roshibina finished with silver.
The silver medal continues Roshibina’s consistent record at the Asian Games. She made her debut at the Jakarta 2018 Games, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s 60kg Sanda event. At the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, she improved her result by reaching the final and winning silver. Her second consecutive silver came in Aichi Nagoya in 2026.
With the latest medal, Roshibina became the first Indian wushu athlete to win medals at three successive editions of the Asian Games. Her medal sequence now stands at bronze in 2018, silver in 2023 and silver in 2026.
Roshibina’s road to the 2026 final also included several important victories. She defeated Bangladesh’s Shika Khatun in the pre quarterfinal stage before overcoming Macao’s Chu Man Sin in the quarterfinal. Her quarterfinal victory secured at least a bronze medal because semifinalists in the Sanda competition are guaranteed a place on the podium.
In the semifinal, Roshibina defeated Indonesia’s Thania Kusumaningtyas 2 0 to book her place in the gold medal contest. Her performance through the knockout stages ensured that she would add another medal to her Asian Games collection.
The 2026 campaign was particularly notable because Roshibina was not initially included in India’s Asian Games squad. She had lost the selection trial to Divyanshi Choudhary and was initially left out of the team. However, after Divyanshi was withdrawn from the squad following a reported knee injury, Roshibina was named as her replacement.
The change in selection led to controversy before the Games, with allegations being made during the selection process. The Wushu Association of India stated that the replacement was made on medical grounds. These developments had placed additional attention on Roshibina’s return to the Indian contingent.
Once the competition began, Roshibina focused on her performances inside the arena. Her victories in the preliminary rounds and semifinal took her into another Asian Games final, extending her record of reaching the podium at every edition in which she has competed.
The final against Zhang Xiaoyu was a difficult contest for the Indian fighter. Zhang won both rounds 5 0 and secured the gold medal with a 2 0 victory. Roshibina therefore finished with another silver medal, matching the result she achieved at the Hangzhou Games.
Her achievement is also significant for Indian wushu. Roshibina’s latest medal became India’s 11th Asian Games medal in wushu, according to reports. India’s wushu medal tally at the Asian Games now includes gold, silver and bronze medals across different editions.
Roshibina’s Asian Games journey reflects a steady progression. She began with bronze as a teenager at Jakarta in 2018, reached the final and won silver at Hangzhou in 2023, and again reached the final in Aichi Nagoya in 2026. The latest silver has established her as the first Indian wushu athlete to win medals at three consecutive Asian Games.
For Roshibina, the 2026 Asian Games campaign ended with another place on the podium. While Zhang Xiaoyu took the gold in the 60kg Sanda final, Roshibina added another silver to her international record and extended her run of Asian Games medals to three successive editions.