India's Naorem Roshibina Devi signed off with a silver medal after a 0-2 defeat against local heavyweight Wu Xiaowei in the women's 60kg wushu sanda final at the Asian Games.
For India's Naorem Roshibina Devi the silver medal in women's 60kg sanda event of wushu was a victory for the victims of Manipur violence that has been raging in her native state since May this year. (Medal Tally | Schedule | Streaming | Full Coverage | More Sports News)
Hailing from the Meitei community in Kwashiphai vill💎age in Bishnupur district adjoining Churachandpur, which is dominated by the rival Kuki ethnic community, Roshibina fought a valiant fight against local heavyweight Wu Xiaowei before going down💎 0-2 in two rounds in the final.
The conflict between the two communities in Manipur has killed scores of people and in🎀jured so many ꩵmore.
"Manipur is burning. Fighting is going on in Manipur. I can't go to my village. I want to dedicate this medal to those who are protecting us and suffering t💮here," said Roshibina after clinching the silver.
The Manipuri athlete was crying inconsolably as she added: "I don't knowꦆ what will happen, the fighting has been continuing. When will it stop and return to normal life of earlier times."
China has dominated the women's 60kg category and an ultra-aggressive Wu ensured🍎 that the hosts defended their gold medal of the🌞 Jakarta-Palembang edition.
Roshibina's effort was good enough for the 22-year-old to upgrade her bronze from the Asian Games 2018. She had c🍌onfirmed at least a silver on Wednesday when she put up a terrific fight to knock out world championship silver and bronze medallist Thi Thu Thuy Nguyen of Vietnam 2-0.
She spoke to her parents on Wednesday an✤d they asked her to focus on the final without getti🍌ng distracted by the Manipuri violence.
"They told me to focus on the match and not on other things. My family is fine. I don't speak to them regularly as my coaches sa⛎y the violence at home will distract me.
"We prepared very well and we could doꦐ well here and won a silver," she added.
The Indian found the going tough against Wu Xiaowei, the reigning champion in the category, allowing the Chinese to get off to a strong start. Wu was declared winner by the judges after t🐻wo rounds.
Trying to get her opponent off the mat, the local favourite had an aggressive first 💃round and began with a splendid take down.
The 🐻Manipuri athlete tried to bounce back and g꧒ot hold of Wu's leg to push her out to the edges but was unsuccessful as round one belonged to the Chinese who had a 1-0 lead.
A watchful Wu sealed the issue with an attack on Roshibina Devi's torso in𒆙 the secoꦡnd round.
Hailing from a modest background, ꦅRoshibina came to limelight after winning a bronze medal at the Junior Worlds in 2016.
At the 🐼2018 Asian Games, a total of 10 competitors had initially qualified for the event.
She received a first-round b🐠ye in the round of 16, and had her first-round match against Mubashra Akhtar of Pakistan in the quarterfinals.
She defeated Mubashra 2-0 to reach the semis a��nd assure✱d herself a medal.
In the semifinals, she narrowly missed out with a 0-1 loss to C𒊎hina’s Cai Yingy🉐ing.
She 🌃geared up to the Hangzhou showpiece winning a gold at the Moscow Wushuဣ Star Championship.