Manisha Bhanwala scripts history; becomes India's first woman wrestling world champion

Indian wrestling witnessed a historic moment on Friday as Manisha Bhanwala became the country's first woman to win a World Championships gold medal, staging a remarkable comeback from a six-point deficit to defeat American Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women's 59kg final.

The 29-year-old produced a stunning second-period turnaround after trailing 0-6, overcoming a difficult start to secure one of the most significant victories in Indian wrestling history.

With the triumph, Manisha became only the second Indian wrestler to claim a World Championships gold medal, joining Sushil Kumar, who had won the men's 66kg title in 2010.

Her victory also capped a historic campaign for India's women's wrestling contingent, which had three finalists at the same edition of the World Championships for the first time.

𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹

The final began on a difficult note for Manisha as Nette adopted an aggressive approach, targeting the Indian's right leg and gaining control through a strong grip.

The American maintained pressure for nearly 30 seconds before throwing Manisha from near the edge of the mat to secure four points.

Manisha's corner challenged the decision, but the review went against India after officials confirmed that she had landed in a danger position. The unsuccessful challenge added another point to Nette's tally, extending her lead to 5-0.

Manisha attempted to recover by pushing her opponent towards the boundary, but Nette avoided the move by circling away. A subsequent caution against the Indian took the score to 6-0.

Despite the setback, Manisha managed to secure a push-out point before the first period ended, leaving her trailing 1-6.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

The contest changed dramatically after the interval as Manisha returned to the mat with renewed aggression and began challenging Nette's control.

When the American attempted another leg attack, Manisha reacted quickly, slipping behind her opponent to execute a takedown.

Nette's corner challenged the decision, arguing that the referee had blown the whistle before the scoring action was completed. However, the review was unsuccessful, giving Manisha an additional point.

With the momentum shifting, Manisha capitalised on Nette being placed in a par terre position and executed a gut wrench to bring the scores level at 6-6.

Although the American retained the advantage on criteria, Manisha continued to attack and found another opportunity to score two points, moving ahead 8-6.

The turnaround transformed a seemingly lost contest into a historic opportunity for the Indian wrestler.

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀

With just 27 seconds remaining, Manisha faced one final challenge as Nette attempted to regain control and overturn the deficit.

The Indian defended her advantage against an increasingly tired opponent, preventing the American from finding another scoring opportunity.

When the final whistle sounded, Manisha had completed a remarkable comeback to secure India's first women's World Championships gold medal.

Overcome with emotion, she celebrated on the mat before bowing and kissing it, marking the moment that delivered the biggest achievement of her wrestling career.

The victory ended India's long wait for another individual wrestling world champion after Sushil Kumar's triumph in 2010.

𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀

Manisha's gold added to an unprecedented showing by India's women's wrestling team at the championships.

A day earlier, Neelam Sirohi had secured silver in the women's 50kg category, while Kajal Dhochak finished runner-up in the 76kg division.

Their performances meant that three Indian women had reached World Championships finals in a single edition for the first time.

While Neelam and Kajal narrowly missed out on gold, Manisha ensured that the Indian contingent finished the competition with a world title.

Her achievement marked a breakthrough for Indian women's wrestling, which has produced several internationally successful competitors but had never previously secured a senior World Championships gold medal.

𝗔 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴

The victory placed Manisha alongside Sushil Kumar in the small group of Indian wrestlers who have reached the top of the podium at the World Championships.

More significantly, it established a new milestone for Indian women's wrestling, demonstrating the country's growing competitiveness across weight categories.

The manner of her victory made the achievement particularly memorable. Having fallen six points behind against an aggressive opponent, Manisha recovered through technical precision, sustained pressure and disciplined defence in the closing moments.

For Indian wrestling, the championship ended with three women's finalists, two silver medals and a historic gold, marking one of the most successful performances by its women's contingent on the world stage.