Puri hails Roshibina Devi's Asian Games wushu silver
Synopsis
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has congratulated wushu athlete Roshibina Devi Naorem on winning silver in the women's 60kg Sanda event at Asian Games 2026, calling her the first Indian to win wushu medals at three consecutive Asian Games.
Key Takeaways
Roshibina Devi Naorem won silver in the women's 60kg Sanda wushu event at Asian Games 2026 .
She is now the first Indian athlete to win wushu medals at three consecutive Asian Games .
Roshibina hails from Manipur , a state renowned for producing India's top combat-sports talent.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri publicly congratulated her on X on September 24, 2026 .
Wushu has been an Asian Games discipline since 1990 , with India recording a steady run of podium finishes largely driven by Manipuri athletes.
Three Asian Games. Three medals. One warrior from Manipur.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri took to X on Thursday, September 24, 2026, to salute wushu champion Roshibina Devi Naorem after she clinched a silver medal in the women's 60kg Sanda event at Asian Games 2026 — a feat that makes her the first Indian athlete to win wushu medals at three consecutive Asian Games.
Roshibina's hat-trick of Asian Games medals
For a sport that rarely makes front-page noise in India, the number three carries enormous weight. Roshibina Devi Naorem, hailing from Manipur — a state that has produced a disproportionate share of India's combat-sports talent — has now stood on the Asian Games podium at three straight editions of the continent's premier multi-sport showpiece. The Sanda discipline, wushu's full-contact striking format, demands explosive power, tactical ring craft, and nerves of steel under the brightest lights. Roshibina has delivered all three, repeatedly. Minister Puri's post described the achievement as 'remarkable', noting she has 'become the first Indian to win medals in wushu at three consecutive Asian Games.' The milestone places her in rare company in Indian Olympic-track sports history — athletes who turn up not once, but across cycles, and keep delivering.Wushu's quiet but growing footprint in India's medal map
Wushu has been part of the Asian Games programme since 1990, yet it remains one of the lesser-followed disciplines back home despite a steady trickle of Indian podium finishes. Manipur's contribution to that trickle is outsized. The northeastern state's martial culture, infrastructure investment in combat sports, and a pipeline of dedicated coaches have quietly built a competitive ecosystem that keeps surfacing in continental competition. Roshibina is that ecosystem's most decorated current ambassador. Each consecutive Asian Games medal also adds to India's overall tally in the continental games — a metric that carries political and sporting significance as the country builds its case for greater global-games investment and Olympic programme expansion.A minister's congratulation, a nation's moment
Senior Cabinet members amplifying athletic achievements on social media reflects a broader effort by the government to give non-cricket champions mainstream visibility. For Roshibina, the recognition from a Union Minister lands at a moment when she has cemented her place not just as a medal hope, but as a genuine piece of Indian sporting history. Three Games. Three podiums. The benchmark is set.Point of View
Her achievement reinforces the state's status as India's combat-sports nursery and strengthens the case for sustained state and central investment in martial disciplines. The milestone also keeps wushu's Olympic aspirations in the public conversation at a time when the sport continues to lobby for inclusion in the Games programme.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Roshibina Devi Naorem?
Roshibina Devi Naorem is an Indian wushu athlete from Manipur who has represented India at multiple Asian Games editions and is now the first Indian to win wushu medals at three consecutive Asian Games.
What medal did Roshibina Devi win at Asian Games 2026?
Roshibina Devi won a silver medal in the women's 60kg Sanda event at Asian Games 2026 .
What is Sanda in wushu?
Sanda is the full-contact striking discipline within wushu, involving punches, kicks, and takedowns, and is one of the two main competitive formats at the Asian Games alongside taolu (forms).
Since when has wushu been part of the Asian Games?
Wushu has been part of the Asian Games programme since 1990 , making it one of the longer-standing martial-arts disciplines at the continental games.
Why did Hardeep Singh Puri congratulate Roshibina Devi?
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri congratulated Roshibina Devi on her Asian Games 2026 silver medal in wushu and acknowledged her historic feat of medalling at three consecutive Asian Games.
