Wrestling Worlds: Manisha Stuns Home Favourite, Moves Within One Win of Historic Gold

Manisha Bhanwala is on the brink of making history for Indian wrestling after storming into the women’s 59kg final at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.

The 29-year-old delivered a commanding performance in the semi-final, defeating Kazakhstan’s home favourite Altyn Shagayeva 10-0 by fall to move within one victory of a historic world title.

Manisha will take on Abigail Nette of the United States in Friday’s final. A win would make her India’s first-ever women’s world champion in wrestling. Her achievement also marked the third Indian woman to reach a final at this edition of the championships, following Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi. Overall, she became the fourth Indian woman wrestler to reach a World Championships final.

Kajal and Neelam had already secured silver medals after losing their respective gold-medal bouts on Wednesday. Eighteen-year-old Kajal was defeated by Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva in the 76kg final, while Neelam lost to Japan’s Yui Susaki in the 50kg title clash. Their podium finishes marked a significant milestone for India, with two Indian women reaching World Championships finals at the same edition for the first time.

Manisha displayed impressive consistency throughout Thursday’s competition, advancing through each round with authority. She began her campaign with a 6-2 victory over Canada’s Laurence Beauregard in the pre-quarter-finals before overcoming Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu 6-0 in the quarter-finals.

The semi-final proved to be her most dominant outing. Despite facing a wrestler backed by the home crowd, Manisha controlled the contest from the outset and secured a 10-0 victory by fall, booking her place in the gold-medal bout.

Manisha’s journey to the final
Manisha’s run to the final comes after a season of adapting to new challenges, including a change in weight category. She competed in the women’s 57kg event at the 2026 Asian Games, making her debut at the continental competition. However, her campaign ended in the quarter-finals against Japan’s Akari Fujinami, the Paris Olympics gold medallist. Manisha did not receive another opportunity through the repechage.

She had enjoyed success at the previous year’s Asian Championships in Amman, where she won gold in the women’s 62kg category.

Her wrestling journey began in 2013 when her father sent her to a training camp to improve her fitness. What initially started as an effort to become fitter soon developed into a serious sporting pursuit as she discovered her ability and potential on the wrestling mat.

The road to the top was not without difficulties. Manisha faced pressure, injuries and periods of self-doubt during her early years in the sport. However, she has said that she became mentally stronger from 2021 onwards, learning to overcome setbacks and remain focused on her goals.

Support from the Inspire Institute of Sport, where she has trained for a significant part of her career, has played an important role in her progress. She has also acknowledged the contribution of India’s training camps and Japanese coach Kosei Akaishi in refining her technique and helping her adjust to competing across different weight categories.

With the final approaching, Manisha now has an opportunity to turn her impressive campaign into a landmark achievement for Indian wrestling. A victory over Nette on Friday would not only earn her a world title but also place her among the pioneers of Indian women’s wrestling.