Manisha Bhanwala Makes History with Gold at World Wrestling Championships
Historic Achievement for Indian Wrestling
On Tuesday, Haryana's Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam honored wrestler Manisha Bhanwala following her groundbreaking gold medal win at the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships held in Astana, Kazakhstan. Manisha etched her name in history as the first Indian woman to secure a gold medal at these championships, triumphing in the 59kg freestyle category with an impressive comeback victory of 8-6 against Abigail Elizabeth Nette from the USA, after initially trailing 0-6.
Chief Minister's Encouragement
After the ceremony, Manisha expressed her pride in her accomplishment and her gratitude for the support from the Haryana government. She mentioned that the Chief Minister encouraged her to aim for an Olympic medal. "I feel incredibly proud and fortunate to have achieved this. It’s a wonderful feeling. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated me and noted that while I have performed admirably, he urged me to aim even higher. He believes I have the potential to become both a world champion and an Olympic champion, advising me to remain focused. I am thrilled about the hope of bringing home an Olympic medal for our country," she stated.
Road to Victory
Originating from Siwaha village in Haryana's Jind district, Manisha displayed remarkable resilience during her final match against Nette. After falling behind 0-6, she fought back to clinch an 8-6 victory, marking a historic moment for Indian women's wrestling. Prior to her win, India had never secured a women's gold at the Senior World Championships, with the best previous results being Anshu Malik's silver in 2021 and runners-up finishes by Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi in this year's event.
Overall Campaign Performance
Manisha's gold medal was the highlight of India's impressive four-medal haul in the women's events. Alongside her, Kajal and Neelam earned silver medals, while Tanu Sharma brought home a bronze in the 72kg category. The Indian women's team concluded the championships with one gold, two silvers, and one bronze, marking a significant achievement for the nation.
In the men's freestyle events, Vicky Hooda was eliminated in the 97kg repechage after a technical superiority loss of 0-10 to Iran's Hassan Yazdani. India's efforts in the men's 61kg, 70kg, 86kg, and 125kg categories also ended in the preliminary rounds.