- Manisha Bhanwala won India’s first women’s World Championship gold.
- She triumphed 8-6, overcoming a six-point deficit in the final.
- This historic win follows previous Asian, Cadet championships.
- Bhanwala targets 57kg for 2028 Olympics preparation.
Manisha Bhanwala has reached a landmark that no Indian woman wrestler had achieved before her. The 59kg grappler became India’s first female gold medallist at the Wrestling World Championships, fighting back from a six-point deficit to defeat American Abigail Nette 8-6 in the final on Friday.
Bhanwala was trailing 0-6 before producing a remarkable turnaround to take the contest and secure the world title. With this victory, she also became only the second Indian wrestler to win gold at the senior World Championships, joining Sushil Kumar, who claimed the men’s 66kg freestyle title in 2010.
Her achievement came during an exceptional campaign for India’s women wrestlers. For the first time, three Indian women reached the gold medal bouts at the same edition of the World Championships. Neelam Sirohi in the 50kg category and Kajal Dhochak in the 76kg event finished with silver medals on Thursday, while Tanmu Sharma added a bronze.
Who Is Manisha Bhanwala?
Born on February 10, 1997, Manisha comes from Siwaha village in Haryana’s Jind district, with Rohtak also associated with her early life and wrestling journey. She stands 5 feet 2 inches tall and has competed in multiple weight categories, including 62kg and 65kg, before winning the world title in the 59kg division.
Her development has been shaped by the guidance of coach Mandeep Singh at Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium and Japanese coach Kosei Akaishi at the Inspire Institute of Sport.
Wrestling was not initially part of a long-term career plan. In 2013, her father took her to an akhada to help her lose weight and improve her fitness. That decision introduced her to the sport and eventually set her on the path to becoming a world champion.
From Cadet World Champion To Senior World Champion
Bhanwala’s rise through the wrestling circuit began early. She won the Cadet World Championships in 2016 and also secured gold at the South Asian Games that year in the 60kg category.
Two years later, she added another major achievement by winning gold at the World Military Games in China. Her progress continued at the continental level, although the Asian Championships initially brought a series of podium finishes rather than a title.
She won bronze medals at the Asian Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2025, she finally reached the top of the podium, claiming gold in the 62kg category in Amman, Jordan.
That victory also came after a difficult final. Bhanwala recovered from a 2-7 deficit to defeat North Korea’s Kim Ok-Ju 8-7, securing India’s first women’s gold at the Asian Championships in four years. She had also won gold at the National Games in Goa in 2023.
Her latest triumph against Nette represents another major step in a career built on recovering from difficult positions. Bhanwala had earlier booked her place in the World Championships final with a commanding semi-final win over Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva.
The Personal Tragedy Behind Manisha Bhanwala’s Wrestling Journey
One of the most difficult periods of Bhanwala’s life came in April 2022. Her father died after suffering a sudden heart attack on April 17, the same day she was scheduled to travel for the Asian Championships.
Despite the personal loss, she decided to compete at the tournament. She returned with a bronze medal, having continued her campaign during an extremely difficult period.
Bhanwala also made a significant career decision when she left her job in the paramilitary forces. The demands of the job were affecting the time she could devote to training, prompting her to resign and concentrate fully on wrestling.
She had already attracted attention during selection trials by defeating Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik on three occasions, underlining her ability to compete against established names in Indian wrestling.
Why Manisha Bhanwala Is Targeting The 57kg Category
The 59kg world title is a major achievement, but Bhanwala’s longer-term ambitions extend to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She is now working towards a move to the 57kg category as she looks to prepare for the next Olympic cycle.
Her height of 5 feet 2 inches has been a consideration in her weight-category decisions. She has spoken about the physical challenge of facing taller European opponents in the 62kg division.
The move to 57kg could therefore become an important part of her preparation for Los Angeles. For now, however, Bhanwala has already secured a place in Indian sporting history. Her comeback against Nette ended the country’s long wait for a women’s wrestling world champion and gave Indian wrestling a landmark moment on the global stage.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
