Roshibina Devi not happy with silver medal at the Asian Games
Hailing from the Meitei community in Kwashiphai village in Bishnupur district, Roshibina Devi bagged a silver medal at the Asian Games.
Follow Us
Roshibina Devi (Image via: Theweek)
Naorem Roshibina Devi won a silver medal in the 60kg category in Wushu but she was still not happy with her effort on Thursday. Up against China’s Wu Xiaowei, the 22-year-old from Manipur showed guts and heart but was unable to clinch gold. “I am not happy with just a silver, next time I will attempt winning a gold medal,” Roshibina told this writer.
The body language of Roshibina was positive but in an arena where the Chinese supporters were larger in numbers, the cheering for Wu was higher. This is a fast martial arts/combat sport where an athlete is tested in terms of speed, reflexes, and technique.
Not being able to attack Wu for points early on made the difference. “Yes, my opponent was better in the first round as I could not catch up. The last time in the Jakarta Asian Games, I had a bronze and this time silver. I will definitely go for gold in the next Asian Games,” said the Indian star.
Hailing from Manipur, a state that has produced several champions for India, including boxer MC MaryKom, Roshibina is a hard-working class. “My day begins at 630am and I start training. My whole life revolves around the sport, there is nothing more to do,” said Roshibina.
She was not overtly emotional on Thursday after winning the medal. “I know my family and so many people back home have prayed hard for me. I am thankful to all of them,” added Roshibina. Her next goal is to do well in the World Championship to be held in November.
Roshibina Devi dedicates her achievement to the people of Manipur
There had been a bit of chaos before the Wushu players landed in Hangzhou. Three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh had to return from the Indira Gandhi airport in New Delhi over visa hassles last week. It led to a diplomatic row, with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur canceling his visit to Hangzhou.
From beyond the field of play, it is nice to celebrate the medal won by Roshibina in Wushu but one must spare a thought for her state of mind. Manipur was in turmoil for almost two months, literally burning.
Athletes like MaryKom had put out emotional statements on social media “Save Manipur.” Roshibina must have also been through emotional turmoil with all this happening back home. She preferred not to talk on the subject, though. “Yes, people in Manipur will be happy I won this medal,” she said.
Speaking about Roshibina’s training and medal win, coach Kuldeep Kumar Handoo spoke of how hard Wushu players train. “Inside the arena, it is all over in two plus two, four minutes. The preparation that we put our athletes through is all year long. There is no doubt that Roshibina and all other players of Wushu have to slog hard. Hopefully, in the World Championship we will win more medals,” said Handoo.
A sport like Wushu gets noticed in India once in a while, not like cricket or hockey. Yet, the medals from martial arts or combat sports are important. The Sports Ministry does spend a lot of money on their training. Roshibina trains in the high-performance center in Imphal.
Incase you missed it:
Stay Updated!
S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)