What is the story about?
Manisha Bhanwala became the first Indian woman to win gold at the Senior World Wrestling Championships after producing a remarkable comeback to defeat USA's Abigail Nette 8-6 in the 59kg final in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday.
The 29-year-old Haryana wrestler recovered from a 0-6 deficit to clinch the historic victory, ending India's long wait for a women's gold medal at the senior world championships. She also became only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to win a senior world title.
Manisha's wrestling journey began in 2013 when her father, Suresh, took her to an akhada to help her lose weight and improve her fitness. What started as an attempt to improve her health eventually turned into a career that would take her to the top of world wrestling.
However, tragedy struck when her father suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away, while Manisha was travelling to Mongolia for the Asian Championships. Despite the devastating news, she chose to continue with the competition and eventually returned with a bronze medal. Her father had always wanted to see her win a gold medal for India.
Her world championship triumph also came after a difficult outing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Competing in the 57kg category, Manisha lost 3-0 to Japanese wrestler Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinals. Fujinami's subsequent semifinal defeat meant the Indian did not get another opportunity through the repechage route.
The defeat was particularly difficult for Manisha, who had spent nearly a year away from home preparing for the Games. Rather than allowing the disappointment to derail her campaign, she returned to training immediately after arriving in India.
With little time between the two competitions, she decided to move up to the 59kg category rather than risk an aggressive weight cut. She communicated her decision to the Wrestling Federation of India, won the national trials and began preparing for the world championships.
Coach Mandeep Singh at Rohtak's Chhotu Ram Akhada worked with her on improving endurance and scoring early points, particularly after the defeat to Fujinami. The adjustments helped her prepare for the higher weight category and the challenge ahead.
In Astana, Manisha propelled that preparation into the biggest victory of her career. Trailing 0-6 against Nette, she fought back with takedowns and a gut-wrench to level the contest before scoring the decisive points to secure an 8-6 win.
The 29-year-old Haryana wrestler recovered from a 0-6 deficit to clinch the historic victory, ending India's long wait for a women's gold medal at the senior world championships. She also became only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to win a senior world title.
Manisha's wrestling journey began in 2013 when her father, Suresh, took her to an akhada to help her lose weight and improve her fitness. What started as an attempt to improve her health eventually turned into a career that would take her to the top of world wrestling.
However, tragedy struck when her father suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away, while Manisha was travelling to Mongolia for the Asian Championships. Despite the devastating news, she chose to continue with the competition and eventually returned with a bronze medal. Her father had always wanted to see her win a gold medal for India.
Her world championship triumph also came after a difficult outing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Competing in the 57kg category, Manisha lost 3-0 to Japanese wrestler Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinals. Fujinami's subsequent semifinal defeat meant the Indian did not get another opportunity through the repechage route.
The defeat was particularly difficult for Manisha, who had spent nearly a year away from home preparing for the Games. Rather than allowing the disappointment to derail her campaign, she returned to training immediately after arriving in India.
With little time between the two competitions, she decided to move up to the 59kg category rather than risk an aggressive weight cut. She communicated her decision to the Wrestling Federation of India, won the national trials and began preparing for the world championships.
Coach Mandeep Singh at Rohtak's Chhotu Ram Akhada worked with her on improving endurance and scoring early points, particularly after the defeat to Fujinami. The adjustments helped her prepare for the higher weight category and the challenge ahead.
In Astana, Manisha propelled that preparation into the biggest victory of her career. Trailing 0-6 against Nette, she fought back with takedowns and a gut-wrench to level the contest before scoring the decisive points to secure an 8-6 win.
