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Following her silver medal win at the ongoing Asian Games, Indian wushu athlete Roshibina Devi said that her opponent managed to outclass her by taking advantage of her longer reach. She also expressed how little time she had to prepare for the continental showpiece.
In the women's sanda 60 kg final, Roshibina lost to China's Zhang Xiaoyu by 0-5 in both of her rounds. After her 2018 Asian Games bronze, 2022 edition silver, this is her third successive Asian Games medal in wushu, making her the only Indian woman to do so in her discipline. Speaking to ANI, she said, "I am very happy that for the first time, three medals have been won in Wushu. Although I could not win gold, I will correct whatever mistakes were made and perform even better in upcoming games." She pointed out that despite leading at one point, her opponent Zhang, proved to be a class apart because of her height and better reach. "She was taller than me and had a longer reach, which made it difficult for me to close the distance. She took advantage of her reach. Next time, I will come back better prepared," she said. On her preparations, she said that she needed a bit more time to train but was still happy with her experience. "I got less preparation time, so I needed a bit more time for training. Still, this time was a great experience, especially getting to compete alongside young athletes. I will prepare thoroughly for the upcoming championships and games," she added. Roshibina thanked the Indian Olympic Association, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Manipur Olympic Association and the government for their support. "Their constant support kept my morale high. I also want to thank my coaches and my RD sir at SAI NCOE Imphal, who always guide me to maintain my performance. SAI has been extremely supportive. I was also in TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), and whenever I needed anything related to my training, they provided it. I am very grateful to the SAI schemes and TOPS," she signed off. Roshibina enjoyed an impressive run in Japan, which included beating 2023 world champion Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy of Vietnam. On Wednesday, Roshibina defeated Indonesias Thania Kusumaningtyas 2-0 in the semi-final to secure her place in the title clash. This is India's 14th medal at the ongoing event, having already won a gold, adding the sixth silver to the tally. India has also won seven bronze medals so far. (ANI)
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