Manisha Bhanwala makes history by becoming India’s first ever women’s world wrestling champion

NEW DELHI: Indian wrestling has a new history maker! Manisha Bhanwala produced a sensational performance to clinch the gold medal in the women’s 59kg category at the World Wrestling Championships on Friday, becoming India’s first-ever women’s world champion.In a thrilling gold medal match, Manisha overcame a daunting 0-6 deficit to defeat Pan American champion Abigail Nette 8-6. Refusing to give up despite falling behind early, the Indian wrestler mounted a remarkable comeback to turn the contest on its head and secure a historic win.The triumph is a landmark for Indian wrestling, especially the women’s game, which has been steadily strengthening its presence on the international stage.Manish’s achievement also ended India’s 16-year wait for a senior world champion. The country’s last world title was won by Sushil Kumar, who won gold at the 2010 World Wrestling Championships.Her win comes after a memorable campaign for Indian women’s wrestling in Astana, Kazakhstan. Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) have already made history by reaching the finals and securing silver medals. It was the first time that two Indian women competed in the finals at the same edition of the Senior World Championships.Until this edition, Anshu Malik’s silver medalist in the 57kg category at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo was India’s lone runner-up at the senior championship.Neelam and Kajal changed that story with their impressive double silver finish. Manisha has now taken the breakthrough a step further to become the first Indian woman to win a world title at a senior championship.Trailing Nette by six points, Manisha showed extraordinary resilience and determination to fight her way back into contention. Her 8-6 victory will be remembered as one of the defining moments in Indian women’s wrestling.From Neelam and Kajal’s historic silver medals to Manisha’s gold triumph, Indian wrestlers have made a powerful statement on the world stage.