Nadda hails Roshibina Devi's Silver at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Three consecutive Asian Games, three medals. Naorem Roshibina Devi has done it again — this time claiming Silver in the Women's Sanda 60kg event at the Asian Games 2026, cementing her place as one of Indian wushu's most enduring competitors. Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda was among the first to congratulate her, taking to X on Thursday, September 24, 2026 to celebrate the feat.
A hat-trick of Asian Games medals
Consistency at multi-sport continental championships is rare in any discipline — in wushu's bruising Sanda format, it is rarer still. Roshibina's silver at Asian Games 2026 completes a streak of podium finishes across three successive editions of the Games, a run that speaks to both her physical longevity and her ability to remain competitive against Asia's best. Nadda's post called her achievement a reflection of 'remarkable consistency, courage and determination.'
Wushu's Sanda discipline is a full-contact combat sport combining punches, kicks, and throws — a world removed from the choreographed routines of Taolu. Reaching the podium once in such a format is an achievement; returning to it edition after edition requires a level of dedication that few athletes sustain.
Manipur's quiet medal factory
Roshibina hails from Manipur, the northeastern state that has long punched above its weight in combat and contact sports on the national and international stage. Her rise through Indian wushu mirrors a broader pattern from the region — athletes forged in modest infrastructure who break through onto continental podiums through sheer competitive will. Her continued success also adds to India's growing visibility in wushu, a sport that rarely commands prime-time attention but quietly delivers medals at Asian Games editions.
What the silver means for India's Asian Games 2026 tally
Every medal counts in a multi-discipline event as vast as the Asian Games, and Roshibina's silver adds meaningful weight to India's overall haul at Asian Games 2026. Senior government figures issuing public tributes — as Nadda has here — form part of a deliberate national recognition culture that has grown sharper in recent years, signalling to athletes that their results register at the highest levels. Whether that recognition translates into deeper institutional support for wushu programmes will be the question worth watching as the Games conclude.
For now, though, the moment belongs to Roshibina. Three Games. Three medals. India's wushu flag kept firmly aloft.