Astana, Oct 31
Manisha Bhanwala created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships, producing a remarkable comeback to defeat American Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women’s 59kg final in Astana on Friday.
The 29-year-old Indian overcame a daunting six-point deficit to claim the historic title, ending India’s long wait for a women’s world champion in wrestling. She also became only the second Indian wrestler overall to win a World Championships gold after legendary Sushil Kumar, who clinched the men’s 66kg title in 2010.
The final proved to be a tremendous test of Manisha’s character. Nette began aggressively, executing a powerful attack to take a four-point lead. India’s challenge against the decision was unsuccessful, giving the American another point. A subsequent caution against Manisha extended Nette’s advantage to 6-0. Manisha managed to collect a point before the end of the first period.
However, the Indian returned with renewed determination in the second period. She executed a takedown to reduce the deficit, and another unsuccessful challenge by the American corner gifted her an additional point. Manisha then took advantage of the par terre position, executing a gut wrench to level the score at 6-6.
With Nette holding the advantage on criteria, Manisha needed another scoring move. She found the opportunity to execute a two-point takedown and move ahead 8-6. With just 27 seconds remaining, she defended her lead against the American’s desperate attempts to recover. When the final whistle sounded, Manisha celebrated a landmark triumph for Indian wrestling.
Her gold medal capped an impressive campaign for the Indian women’s team. Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) had won silver medals after reaching their respective finals, while Tanu Sharma secured bronze in the 72kg category. India finished the championships with four medals, with Manisha’s historic gold providing the biggest highlight.