New Delhi, Nov 2:
India’s first-ever female senior world champion wrestler Manisha Bhanwala said the disappointment of missing out on a medal at the Asian Games earlier this year fuelled her determination to create history at the World Championships, where she clinched gold in the women’s 59kg freestyle category.
The 29-year-old said the Asian Games setback had affected her mentally, but with only 10 days between the two competitions, she channelled her frustration into intensive training.
“This year was quite tough for me mentally because we had the Asian Games. I was very disturbed because the Asian Games were extremely important, and for some reason, I couldn’t secure a medal there,” she said.
“When I returned, I had a lot of frustration about why I could not win a medal. After that, I had 10 days, so I practised continuously, and then came the World Championship. Somehow, I had a gut feeling that this time I would create history, and I did,” she told PTI Videos.
Bhanwala also recalled her remarkable comeback in the World Championships final, where she recovered from a 0-6 deficit to defeat American Abigail Nette 8-6. She said her opponent’s aggressive approach eventually worked to her advantage.
The wrestler has competed in several weight categories and is now looking towards the 57kg division with the Los Angeles Olympics in mind. She said experience at the senior level helped her understand where she could perform better. Though 59kg is not an Olympic category, competing against wrestlers who also feature in the 57kg division would help her prepare for the qualification rounds.
Bhanwala also named former wrestler Sushil Kumar, tennis star Aryna Sabalenka and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo among her sporting inspirations. She said she had been following Sabalenka since entering the senior circuit in 2022.
The wrestler revealed that she maintains diaries in which she writes ‘World Champion’ after every practice session. She believes the habit of visualising her goals and focusing her energy has helped sharpen her mindset.