A wall of champions at Sir Chhotu Ram Akhara and a new name waiting to join the legends

Manisha Bhanwala took a victory lap after winning the gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships ROHTAK: Some walls tell stories that are hard to capture in words. Inside the wrestling academy at Sir Chhotu Ram Akhara, one such wall speaks of Olympic glory, world-class grit and the extraordinary journeys of wrestlers who once dared to dream big. It is adorned with large photographs of Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Sakshi Malik, turning the space into something of an informal hall of fame. And now there is a new champion whose photography is waiting to find its place among these famous names — Manisha Bhanwala.Head coach Mandeep Singh needed little prompting to guess the question as you looked at the photos. “Yes, yes, Manisha’s photo will be here soon as well,” he answered the unasked question with a smile. “These photos are reserved for the extraordinary champions of our Indian wrestling. You have to achieve something big to deserve a place on this wall. When world champion Manisha returns to the academy, she will display her own photo. All the trainees will be there for that moment. Maybe next time you visit, you will find her photo,” he said with unmistakable pride.It was Saturday evening as the day’s grueling training came to an end. The mats witnessed their sweat, exhaustion and ferocious matches as the young wrestlers prepared to head home. Even though they wanted to talk about Manish, it gave them reason to delay. They stayed back, eager to talk about their Manisha didi—not just the world-conquering wrestler, but the older teammate whose training they watched, whose techniques they try to emulate, and whose path made their own ambitions seem a little less distant.For this is no ordinary Akhara celebration. By winning the 59kg title at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Manisha added another illustrious chapter to an institution that has quietly built an impressive reputation as a nursery for producing India’s best female wrestlers over the years.For Mandeep, who has been training here since 2010, Manish’s triumph is the culmination of years of discipline. “When she joined me a few years ago, Manisha was regular, dedicated and always trying to improve. She identified her weaknesses and worked on them. Her ground game, once weak, has improved a lot,” he said.The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Manisha missed out on a medal, did not derail her. “She didn’t miss a single day of training after coming back. Her enthusiasm remained the same. Her only aim was to give her best on the mat,” said Mandeep. Manisha is now also giving back to her institution. Here she has been posted as Haryana Government Sports Quota Coach and guides junior wrestlers in their own careers.Komal, a 65kg wrestler and Manisha’s sparring partner for two years, knows the demands first hand. They train together two to three times a week. “She is powerful, but she also points out our mistakes and tells us how to correct them. We learn a lot from her,” Komal said. Even though Manisha was trailing 0-6 in the world finals, Komal believed she would fight. An 8-6 comeback made the celebration sweeter.Deepanshi Phogat, a 50kg wrestler who trained here for five years, appreciates Manisha’s generosity. “When we struggle with movement or strength, she explains it like an older sister. She teaches from the heart,” she said. For Mahi Singh, who has been a trainee for a year, Manisha has the world title within reach. “I watch her techniques and ask how to do them. I want to become a wrestler like didi and win an Olympic medal,” she said.The story of the academy is also a story of perseverance. Named after the reformer Sir Chhota Ram, it was once a male-only reservation. In the early 2000s, coach Ishwar Singh Dahiya began training girls despite social opposition. Sakshi’s 2016 Olympic bronze in Rio brought national recognition and helped transform a modest tin-roofed facility into a modern air-conditioned training hall.“We give the kids as much time as we can. If wrestling helps build their future, we have to give them our best,” Mandeep said. The wall space is waiting for Manisha’s photograph. On the mats, the next generation dreams of earning a place next to her.