Roshibina Devi Navorem, a Wushu star had been training diligently at a camp in Patiala for four months without even being able to contact her family in strife-torn Manipur. Roshibna who clinched a silver medal in the Asian Games yesterday faced the media and became visibly upset when asked about her family in Manipur.

Roshibina's family resides in the Bishnupur district which has been troubled by communal riots. She had been at the training camp in Patiala since May coinciding with the onset of the conflict. Her coach had prohibited her from communicating with her family fearing it would distract her from her training. Days went by without any knowledge of their well-being but she persevered in the camp with the goal of winning a medal for her country. The denial of visas to three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh by China also added to the concerns within the camp.

‘I feel a tremendous sense of relief after winning a medal in the Asian Games. I dedicate this medal to peace in my country,’ Roshibina said. She is now preparing to return to Manipur with her medal as soon as possible to reunite with her family. China's Wu Zhaowei secured the gold medal by defeating Roshnina in the 60 kg women's final. ‘It's been four long months since I last saw my family. It's heartbreaking to think of them,’ she added.

Another gold for India

India clinched the gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol team event at the Hwangcho Asian Games yesterday.

Roshibina Devi secured silver in women's Wushu while Anush Agarwala earned a bronze in equestrian. India currently stands fifth in the overall medal tally with a total of 25 medals including six gold, eight silver and 11 bronze.