World medal in pocket, father in heart: Manisha Bhanwala promises Olympic glory

“Manisha will win a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. Write it down. I’m saying it today,” said a jubilant Virender Dahiya a day after the 29-year-old’s gold medal win at the World Wrestling Championships.

The optimism of the coach, speaking from Astana, Kazakhstan, was not unfounded. The night before, Manisha had created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the World Championships.

Competing in the 59kg category, Manisha went down 1-6 in the final moments of the summit clash against American Abigail Nette. She held her nerve, turned the competition on its head, and secured an 8-6 win in Friday’s nerve-wracking final.

The win brought a lot of peace to Manish, who had to contend with many setbacks on both the personal and professional fronts. In 2022, she lost her father and considered quitting wrestling. After battling depression, she returned to the mat on the advice of her family, who wanted her to fulfill the dream her father had for her.

Manisha, who went into the Asian Games as one of India’s medal favourites, lost to Japan’s Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinals. The defeat dented her confidence. In Nagoya, heartbroken, she found her coach’s only words of comfort: “Don’t worry, something big is waiting for you.”

It happened on Friday night.

A perfectly executed plan handed her one of the rare pieces of Indian history in the finale. It was also a reassurance to the casual wrestling fan that India’s legacy is in good hands.

After winning, Manisha spoke a few quiet words to her father.

“After I won, there was a voice from within that said we have to go far, we have a lot to do,” Manisha said during a virtual media interaction organized by the Wrestling Federation of India on Saturday.

FATHER’S INFLUENCE

Those words offered a glimpse of what winning meant to her. Her father Suresh was the one who introduced her to wrestling and encouraged her to take up the sport. His death in 2022 left her struggling to find a reason to continue. For a while, retirement from wrestling seemed like a possibility.

But the family wanted her to continue. Her father’s advice stayed with her, especially his insistence that anything she undertakes must be seen to completion.

“My father taught me that you either don’t get involved in any job or you finish it completely. It’s in my blood,” she said. “Wrestling is the first and last option for me. It gave me life, a name and the ability to live.”

His contribution to her career is something that Manisha finds difficult to put into words. Even now, she still talks to him as if he’s still around to hear about her days on the mat.

“I can’t tell you how much my father has contributed to my career. I still talk to him like he lives inside me. He’s a part of my life, he’s in my heart,” she said.

This connection was also present in Astana. Manisha wore a special t-shirt in memory of her father before the finale. After winning the gold, she took a moment for herself, in her thoughts with the person who had brought her on this journey in the first place. Manisha was carrying a special T-shirt. (Photo: X)

The road to the title was not straightforward. Manisha has competed in four World Championships since her debut in 2023, but has never finished on the podium. At 29, she was also older than several wrestlers emerging on the international circuit. But he does not see age as an obstacle.

“It’s all about the mind. There is no difference between young and old. What matters is dedication,” she said.

FOCUS ON LOS ANGELES

Manish’s gold came in the 59kg category, but the Olympic program does not have that division. The corresponding Olympic category is 57 kg and he will have to return to this weight as he works towards Los Angeles.

The decision to compete at the 59kg World Championships was made with the Asian Games in mind. The camp expected Manisha to win a medal in Nagoya and felt that the celebrations and functions that would follow would leave little time for her to cut weight for the World Championships. The plan was to avoid a hasty weight cut by moving up to 59kg. However, Manisha missed out on a medal from the Asian Games and could not change her category at the last minute.

He does not see the return to 57 kg as a problem. Manisha said she has always been able to meet the weight requirement and doesn’t have to make a sharp cut towards the end of the campaign.

For her coach, the world title has now given the pair a clearer goal. Our immediate focus will be on returning to the 57kg category and advancing to the qualifying round in Los Angeles.

“Yesterday after the final we sat down and talked to each other about winning a medal now comes with a responsibility. Now we finally see the road to the Olympics in LA. We now have a responsibility to win a medal there,” said Dahiya.

Manisha has already made her intention clear. “In 2028, you and I will meet in Los Angeles with a medal,” she said.

The world title secured her a place in the history of Indian wrestling. Los Angeles is the next destination and a dream she has carried for years. Her father may not be there to see it in person, but his words continue to guide her as she works to make it happen.

– The end