One Selection, Two Stories: What Happened To Divyanshi Choudhary?

Divyanshi Choudhary was posting photos of her packed kit bag days ago. Now she's disputing the very selection process that was supposed to send her to Japan - and the explanation she's been given depends entirely on who's doing the explaining.

Choudhary, 18, had qualified for India's Asian Games wushu squad in the women's 60kg category, having beaten Roshibina Devi Naorem in the selection trials for the Nagoya Games. Days before departure - after India's send-off ceremony in New Delhi had already taken place - she learned she'd been dropped and replaced by the very competitor she'd defeated.

Divyanshi Choudhary's Account: A Pattern, Not a One-Off

Choudhary's version of events points to sustained pressure rather than a sudden medical call. In a video that's since circulated widely, she said: "I'm tired of this... I have been mentally harassed so much. Since June, July, they have been after me because she (Roshibina) wanted to go. Given that I beat her, why is it a problem for her now." She went further, framing the swap as improper: "I beat her, it's my right to go there (Japan). She has been knocking at different doors...it's abuse of power."

Her father, Sunil, added a detail that sharpens the timeline considerably - he says Divyanshi was only informed on Friday morning, and alleges the original plan was to tell her at the airport that she wouldn't be flying with the team at all. He also directly challenged the logic of her replacement: "Divyanshi beat Roshibina in the semifinals of the trials. If the association had to send someone, they should have sent the individual who Divyanshi beat in the final."

The Association's Account: A Concealed Injury

Wushu Association of India president Jitender Bajwa disputes that framing entirely, and places the decision outside the Association's hands. According to him, Choudhary's removal came from the Sports Authority of India after she was found to be hiding a knee injury during a national training camp: "Divyanshi joined the national camp which was organised by SAI a month back. She was carrying a knee injury and was trying to hide it by avoiding training. When SAI eventually found out about this, they replaced her name."

Bajwa's account of the process describes coaches, not administrators, initiating the concern - flagging her reduced training as suspicious, which led to a medical test that confirmed the injury.

Where the Two Sides Actually Agree

Notably, the injury itself isn't in dispute. Sunil confirmed his daughter has an ACL injury, but framed it as manageable rather than disqualifying: "After she got an injury, we got Divyanshi checked by a doctor. She had an injury to her ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). The doctor said it could be treated by rehabilitation." That's the crux of the disagreement - not whether an injury exists, but whether it was serious enough to justify pulling a trials winner days before travel.

Why Roshibina, Specifically

Bajwa also addressed why Roshibina - who lost in the trials' semifinals, not the final - was the one chosen as replacement rather than the actual runner-up. He said the finalist who lost to Choudhary, Himanshi of Chandigarh, had separately suffered a jaw fracture and was unavailable, which is why coaches had already recommended Roshibina as the contingency pick. Bajwa pushed back directly on any suggestion of favoritism: "It was not our call to remove Divyanshi's name... Instead the coaches had already recommended the name of Roshibina Devi as the replacement player for Divyanshi."

What's Actually Lost Here

Whatever the correct account turns out to be, the competitive stakes are real. Roshibina arrives as a two-time Asian medallist and Arjuna Award recipient - a legitimate replacement on credentials alone. But Choudhary beat her in trials specifically set up to determine who earns the spot, which is precisely why her camp views the swap as something more than a routine medical precaution. Bajwa, for his part, didn't dispute her talent: "She is a very talented athlete. She performed very well at the trials. It is bad luck that she will not be going to the Asian Games."

Beyond the Selection Dispute

Choudhary has also spoken about how difficult the past several months have been for her personally, describing the situation as having taken a serious toll on her. That's a serious and separate concern from the selection question itself, and worth taking seriously in its own right rather than folding into the sporting dispute - a distinction that matters both for how her situation is understood and for what kind of support she may need going forward, regardless of how the selection controversy is ultimately resolved.