Manisha Bhanwala: From entering an akhara for fitness to becoming India's first women's world champion

Manisha Bhanwala did not enter a wrestling arena with a world title in mind. In 2013, her father, Suresh Bhanwala, took her to an akhara in Haryana, initially encouraging her to take up the sport for fitness and weight management. Thirteen years later, she stood on the biggest stage in senior wrestling, achieving something no Indian woman had done before.

On October 30, 2026, Manisha became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships. The 29-year-old defeated American wrestler Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women's 59kg freestyle final in Astana, Kazakhstan, after recovering from a six-point deficit.

But the significance of her victory goes beyond the final score. Her journey reflects years of competing across weight categories, building an international career and learning to deliver under pressure.

From an unexpected beginning to international success

Born on February 10, 1997, in Siwaha village in Haryana's Jind district, Manisha came from a family with an interest in sports. Her elder brother, Rinku, played kabaddi, while her sister-in-law, Mamta Sihag, was also a wrestler.

She began training at Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak under coach Mandeep Singh. What started as a fitness activity gradually became a serious sporting pursuit.

Her first major international breakthrough came in 2016, when she won gold at the Cadet World Wrestling Championships. She also secured gold at the South Asian Games that year in the 60kg category.

In 2018, she added another international achievement by winning gold at the World Military Games in China.

However, success at the senior level required a different kind of consistency. Manisha won bronze medals at the Asian Wrestling Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2024 before finally claiming gold in 2025.

The weight-category challenge

One of the interesting aspects of Manisha's career has been her experience across different weight categories. She has competed in divisions including 57kg, 59kg, 60kg, 62kg and 65kg.

In 2025, she won the Asian Championships gold in the 62kg category in Amman, Jordan. The final was another example of her ability to recover under pressure. Trailing North Korea's Kim Ok-Ju 2-7, Manisha fought back to win 8-7.

Her 2026 World Championships triumph came in the 59kg category, demonstrating her ability to compete successfully at a different weight.

The distinction matters because wrestling is divided into weight categories, each demanding athletes meet specific weight limits while maintaining the strength, stamina and technical ability needed to compete. Moving between divisions is therefore not simply a change in numbers; it requires adjustments to an athlete's preparation and competition strategy.

A final that tested her endurance

Manisha's World Championships final against Abigail Nette looked increasingly difficult during its opening stages.

Nette established a 6-0 lead after scoring through a four-point move, an unsuccessful Indian challenge and a caution against Manisha. The Indian wrestler managed to score a step-out point before the break, leaving the first period at 6-1.

The second period changed the contest.

Manisha executed a takedown and benefited from an unsuccessful challenge by the American corner. She then used her preferred gut-wrench technique to level the score at 6-6.

With 27 seconds remaining, she scored another two points to take an 8-6 lead and defended it until the end.

Her coach, Mandeep Singh, told The Indian Express that endurance had been a particular focus in their preparation. After Manisha returned without a medal from the 2026 Asian Games, the two worked on managing her energy during bouts. Instead of attacking continuously from the beginning, she conserved her strength for the closing stages.

That adjustment proved important in Astana.

The promise behind the medal

There was also a deeply personal story behind Manisha's victory.

Her father, Suresh, who had introduced her to wrestling and supported her career, passed away in 2022. His death came shortly before she was due to travel to Mongolia for the Asian Wrestling Championships. Manisha was deeply affected by the loss, but her family encouraged her to continue competing.

She had entered the senior Indian team in 2022 and carried the ambition of becoming a world champion.

Before the final in Astana, she carried a photograph of her father. After winning, she displayed a T-shirt featuring his picture, paying tribute to the person who had helped begin her wrestling journey.

Speaking to United World Wrestling, Manisha said she had been writing since 2022 that she would become a world champion. She had specifically wanted to be the first Indian woman to achieve the feat.

What does this victory mean for Indian wrestling?

Manisha became only the second Indian wrestler to win a senior World Championships gold medal, following Sushil Kumar, who won the men's 66kg freestyle title in 2010.

Her victory also came after Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak had reached the finals in their respective categories at the 2026 championships but finished with silver medals. Tanu Sharma added a bronze, taking India's women's medal tally to four.

The achievement has given Indian women's wrestling its first senior world champion and a new milestone to build on.

Manisha has already identified her next target. She wants to defend her world title at the 2027 championships in Las Vegas, this time in the 57kg category, which is an Olympic weight division.

For a wrestler who first entered an akhara for fitness, the journey has now reached the top of the world. But Manisha's ambitions extend beyond becoming the first. She wants to return as a champion and inspire more Indian women to believe that the world title is within their reach.