Roshibina Devi’s 5‑0 demolition of Macau’s Chu Man Sin in the women’s 60kg sanda quarter‑finals stamped her place in the semi‑finals, turning a one‑win‑away scenario into a guaranteed bronze.
The 25‑year‑old Manipuri had barely made the squad after a tough June trial in Srinagar, where teammate Divyanshi Choudhary had beaten her in the semi‑finals. A sudden ACL tear in Divyanshi’s knee, confirmed by an MRI, opened the door and Roshibina seized it.
Her path to the podium has already seen a colour shift: bronze at Jakarta 2018, silver at Hangzhou 2023, and now a bronze‑medal spot in Aichi. The silver from Hangzhou ended India’s 13‑year wait for a wushu medal, and the next step is a gold‑medal showdown.
The replacement sparked a flare‑up, with Divyanshi alleging harassment and the federation insisting it was strictly medical. The debate has added a human drama layer to an already tense preparation cycle.
The semi‑final will pit Roshibina against the world‑ranked top seed, a match that could crown a new champion. If she drops the gold, she still walks away with India’s first wushu gold in 13 years. The next challenge? A hard‑fought final that could rewrite the sport’s history.