Father’s Death, Thoughts on Quitting Wrestling, Promise and World Championship Gold: Manisha Bhanwal’s Story

Manisha Bhanwala (Image credit: WFI) The first thing Manisha Bhanwala wanted to show the world after becoming a world champion wasn’t her medal. It was a white t-shirt with photos of her parents on it.As the 29-year-old wrestler celebrated her historic World Championship gold, she held up her shirt for all to see. No words were needed to explain the moment. It was her way of leading her parents to the success they always dreamed of, but her father didn’t live to see.Manisha defeated American Abigail Nette 8-6 in a thrilling comeback victory in the final to become the first Indian wrestler to win a World Championship gold. But behind this historic achievement was a personal story of loss, family sacrifice, and a promise she made to herself.Her father Suresh passed away in 2022. Four years later, Manisha fulfilled the dream he had for his daughter.

The day that changed Manisha’s life

Manisha’s journey in wrestling started with inspiration from her own family. Growing up in a farming family in Jind, Haryana, she watched her elder brother Rinka play kabaddi in the village. This was what first got her interested in the sport.With several family members involved in sports, wrestling became a natural choice. Her brother plays kabaddi while her sister-in-law Mamta Sihag is also a wrestler.Rinku remembers that Manisha always had the physical strength and mental toughness needed to compete.“We all played sports in the family. She watched me play kabaddi in the village and that inspired her. Then we decided that she should pursue individual sports rather than team sports. She was physically strong and mental toughness was always her greatest strength,” Rinku told PTI.However, one morning in 2022 brought a major obstacle into her life.

Manisha Bhanwala (Image credit: WFI)

Manisha was preparing to travel to Mongolia for the Asian Championships when tragedy struck. Her father attended ‘jagran’ the previous night. The next morning, he died in his sleep of cardiac arrest.The news left Manisha devastated. She was deeply attached to her family and could not imagine leaving home at such a difficult time. She even considered retiring from wrestling.

Her brother’s words gave her the strength to continue

The family knew how much Manisha’s father had sacrificed to help her become a wrestler. They didn’t want all these efforts to be in vain.Rinku and the rest of the family tried to convince her to continue in the tournament, reminding her of the dream their father had about her.“She was preparing to leave, but our father died that very morning. He was attending jagran and died in his sleep. She was so attached to all of us that she didn’t want to go.”“We had to tell her that all the efforts our father had put in to make her a wrestling champion would go in vain if she gave up. We somehow convinced her to board a flight to Mongolia,” Rinku recalled.Manisha eventually traveled to Mongolia and returned with a bronze medal from the Asian Championships.This was an important moment in her career. She continued to compete and won three more Asian medals, including a gold last year.But the biggest prize was yet to come.

She took her parents to the World Cup

Before leaving for Astana for the World Cup, Manisha decided to do something special. She had photos of her parents printed on a white T-shirt.It wasn’t just something she wanted to wear during the competition. She had a clear goal behind it. She wanted to win the gold medal and show the T-shirt to the world.

Manisha Bhanwala (Image credit: WFI)

Her brother said she was determined to make that moment happen.“Before leaving for Astana, she had our parents’ photos printed on a white T-shirt. It was her decision to win the gold and show the T-shirt to everyone. That’s exactly what she did,” said Rinku.And she kept her promise.After fighting back and defeating Abigail Nette 8-6 in the final, Manisha displayed the T-shirt. The celebration was about more than just becoming a world champion. It was about a father who believed in her and a family that stood by her during difficult times.Rinku said the win fulfilled a dream shared by the entire family.“It was our family’s dream for her to become a world champion, and today she fulfilled it. For our father, it is even more special. His dream and the dream of the whole family has come true,” he added.

A long way across weight categories

Manisha’s journey to the top was also marked by several changes in weight categories. She competed in the 62 kg, 65 kg and 57 kg divisions before finding her greatest success in the non-Olympic 59 kg category.At the age of 29, she finally reached the top of world wrestling.Her journey began in a village in Haryana where she was introduced to the sport by watching her brother play kabaddi. Personal tragedy, difficult decisions, and years of hard work led her to achieve what her father always wanted.The gold medal goes to Manish. But the moment she picked up that white T-shirt, she made sure her father’s dream was sharing the spotlight.