Who is Manisha Bhanwala? India’s first woman wrestling world champion
Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala created history on October 30 by winning the gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. She defeated American wrestler Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women’s 59kg final after making an impressive comeback from a six-point deficit. Her victory marked a major achievement for Indian wrestling, as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the senior World Wrestling Championships.
Manisha’s achievement was part of a successful performance by India’s women wrestlers at the competition. Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak also reached the finals in their respective Olympic weight categories and finished with silver medals. Their performances added to India’s success at the international event.
Before Manisha’s historic victory, Anshu Malik was the only Indian woman to reach a World Championships final, where she won silver in 2021. Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Antim Panghal have also made important contributions to Indian wrestling by winning two bronze medals each at the World Championships. In men’s wrestling, Sushil Kumar remains another Indian senior world champion, while Bajrang Punia won a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships.
Manisha’s gold medal was also an important comeback after a difficult performance by India’s women wrestlers at the Asian Games. During that competition, only Antim Panghal managed to win a medal for India. Manisha competed in the 57kg category at the Asian Games but failed to progress further. She later decided to move to the 59kg category for the World Championships, where she achieved her biggest career success.
Her journey to the final was not easy. She defeated several experienced wrestlers, including Canada’s Laurence Beauregard and Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu, to secure her place in the gold medal match. In the final, American wrestler Abigail Nette took an early 6-0 lead. However, Manisha remained determined and fought back strongly, scoring eight points to secure an 8-6 victory.
Manisha comes from a farming family in Haryana. Her interest in sports began at a young age after watching her brother Rinku play kabaddi. Her brother’s involvement in sports inspired her to take up athletics and eventually choose wrestling as her career. Her sister-in-law, Mamta, is also a wrestler and has been part of her sporting journey.
However, Manisha faced several personal difficulties while building her career. Before the Asian Championships, her father passed away suddenly. His death deeply affected her, and she even considered leaving wrestling. With encouragement and support from her family, she decided to continue pursuing her dream.
During the World Championships, Manisha carried a special T-shirt featuring photographs of her parents. She used it as a source of motivation throughout the competition. After winning the gold medal, she proudly displayed the T-shirt, remembering her parents and the dream her father had for her.
Her victory represents years of hard work, determination and family support. From growing up in a farming family and finding inspiration in her brother’s kabaddi matches to becoming India’s first woman senior world wrestling champion, Manisha Bhanwala has achieved a historic milestone.
At the age of 29, her gold medal in the non-Olympic 59kg category has brought international recognition to Indian women’s wrestling and created a memorable moment in the country’s sporting history.