From Handmade Gloves to Three Asian Games Medals: Roshibina Devi’s Wushu Journey

Before Roshibina Devi became a three-time Asian Games medalist, her introduction to combat sports began at home with something far simpler: homemade gloves made from pieces of traditional Indian cloth.

The 25-year-old wushu athlete from Manipur won silver in the women’s 60kg sanda event at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The medal was her third consecutive Asian Games medal, following bronze in 2018 and silver in 2023.

Her First Gloves Were Made From a Lungi

Roshibina has recalled that she grew up watching Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee films and became fascinated with combat sports.

At home, she would make makeshift boxing gloves from a lungi and spar with her brothers. Her father, Naorem Damu, noticed her interest and began looking for opportunities for her to train seriously.

She eventually joined a Sports Authority of India centre in 2012 and began building a career in wushu.

A Family That Made Sacrifices

Roshibina comes from a farming family in Manipur. Her father works as a farmer, while her mother, Naorem Romila, helps with agricultural work.

In an interview with NDTV, Roshibina spoke about the sacrifices her parents made to support her sporting career. She said they would sometimes avoid buying new clothes for themselves so that they could provide what she needed for training and competition.

Her parents’ support remained important as she progressed from local competitions to the international stage.

A Medal She Nearly Missed

Roshibina’s place at the 2026 Asian Games was not guaranteed. She lost the final Indian selection trial for the women’s 60kg category and initially missed out on the squad.

Three days before the Indian wushu team travelled to Japan, however, the selected athlete Divyanshi Choudhary suffered an injury. Roshibina was called into the team at the last moment.

With little time to prepare specifically for the Games, she travelled to Japan and eventually reached the final. China’s Zhang Xiaoyu defeated her 2-0, but the silver medal secured Roshibina’s place in Asian Games history as the first Indian wushu athlete to win medals at three consecutive editions.

From a Small Beginning to the Asian Podium

Roshibina’s journey has taken her from sparring with her brothers in homemade gloves to standing on an Asian Games podium three times.

Her latest medal adds another chapter to a career that began with a child’s fascination with martial arts and was sustained by years of training and support from her family.

Sources

• NDTV Sports — “I Made Boxing Gloves Out Of Lungis: Roshibina Devi Recalls Unusual Start To Wushu Journey” — September 28, 2026
• The Indian Express — “How a late call-up made Roshibina wushu’s first three-time Asian medallist” — September 24, 2026
• NDTV — “Asian Games | ‘Parents Never Bought New Clothes’: Silver Medalist Roshibina Devi’s Emotional Journey” — September 24, 2026