A new history has been recorded in Indian women’s wrestling. Manisha Bhanwala created a record by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships. She won the gold medal by defeating American wrestler Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women’s 59 kg final held in Astana, Kazakhstan on Friday. Despite being behind 0-6 at one stage, she miraculously recovered and defeated her opponent.
0-6 to 8-6.. An unusual fight
American wrestler Abigail Nette dominated the final bout in the beginning. With this, Manisha fell behind 0-6. However, the 29-year-old Manisha from Rohtak, Haryana, who continued to fight without giving in to the pressure, turned the score in her favor by scoring consecutive points. Finally, she won 8-6 and became the world champion. Manisha’s victory over Pan American champion Nette has filled Indian sports fans with joy.
39-year wait ends
India’s wait for a gold medal in the women’s category of the World Wrestling Championship continued for 39 years. In 2021, Anshu Malik became the first Indian woman to reach the final of the World Championship, but she settled for a silver medal. In the latest competitions, Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak reached the finals and won silver medals. However, Manisha ended that wait by winning the final.
A tournament that showcased the power of Indian women
Indian women wrestlers put on a great performance in this World Championship. It is noteworthy that for the first time in a single edition, three Indian women reached the gold medal competition. Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak reached the finals and won silver medals in the 50 kg category and 76 kg category respectively. Tanmu Sharma added another medal to India’s medal tally with a bronze medal. Manisha, who had a dominant win over Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva in the semifinals, continued the same momentum in the final.
After Sushil Kumar, Manisha
Manisha also became the second Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at the World Championships. Earlier, Sushil Kumar won the World Championship gold in the men’s 66 kg category in 2010. Now, Manisha Bhanwala has achieved this feat in the women’s category and has earned a special place for herself in the history of Indian wrestling. Her performance has once again proved that victory is possible if you fight without giving up even under pressure.
