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Manisha Bhanwala made history on Friday, becoming India's first-ever women's wrestling world champion and ending the country's 39-year wait for a women's gold medal at the Wrestling World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The Indian wrestler defeated USA's Abigail Elizabeth Nette, delivering a brilliant 8-6 comeback in the women's 59kg final to become only the second Indian after Sushil Kumar to win the title. Sushil had won gold in 2010, securing India's first world wrestling title.
At the podium, Manisha celebrated her title-winning moment in the most heartfelt way, unveiling a T-shirt featuring photographs of her parents and proudly displaying it to the spectators.
The gesture carried a far deeper significance, serving as a touching tribute from a daughter to her father, whose dream she had pursued and cherished for years before finally bringing it to life.
Manisha's historic medal was the fulfilment of her father Suresh's dream, who sadly passed away on the same day she was supposed to leave for the Asian Championships in 2022. According to PTI, Manisha comes from a family with deep roots in sports, with her brother a kabaddi player and her sister-in-law, Manta Sihag, a wrestler.
Watching her brother play kabaddi in the village was what inspired Manisha to take up sports.
"We all played sports in the family. She used to watch me play kabaddi in the village, and that inspired her. We then decided that she should take up an individual sport rather than a team game. She was physically strong, and mental toughness was always her biggest strength," Manisha's brother Rinku said.
But Manisha's road to the historic gold medal finish had a great deal of heartbreak. Rinku recalled that the day her sister was supposed to depart for Mongolia for the Asian Championships, their father suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away in his sleep.
Suresh had attended a jagran the previous night and died the following morning, leaving Manisha shattered, as she was deeply connected to her father. She did not want to leave home and also contemplated giving up wrestling.
But her family members convinced her to go, saying that all of her father's efforts would go down the drain if she gave up. Manisha went on to compete at the tournament, wrapping up her campaign with a bronze medal finish.
It marked the beginning of a course which would make her a title winner at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana.
The Indian wrestler defeated USA's Abigail Elizabeth Nette, delivering a brilliant 8-6 comeback in the women's 59kg final to become only the second Indian after Sushil Kumar to win the title. Sushil had won gold in 2010, securing India's first world wrestling title.
At the podium, Manisha celebrated her title-winning moment in the most heartfelt way, unveiling a T-shirt featuring photographs of her parents and proudly displaying it to the spectators.
The gesture carried a far deeper significance, serving as a touching tribute from a daughter to her father, whose dream she had pursued and cherished for years before finally bringing it to life.
How Manisha took up sports
Manisha's historic medal was the fulfilment of her father Suresh's dream, who sadly passed away on the same day she was supposed to leave for the Asian Championships in 2022. According to PTI, Manisha comes from a family with deep roots in sports, with her brother a kabaddi player and her sister-in-law, Manta Sihag, a wrestler.
Watching her brother play kabaddi in the village was what inspired Manisha to take up sports.
"We all played sports in the family. She used to watch me play kabaddi in the village, and that inspired her. We then decided that she should take up an individual sport rather than a team game. She was physically strong, and mental toughness was always her biggest strength," Manisha's brother Rinku said.
Manisha's path wasn't easy
But Manisha's road to the historic gold medal finish had a great deal of heartbreak. Rinku recalled that the day her sister was supposed to depart for Mongolia for the Asian Championships, their father suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away in his sleep.
Suresh had attended a jagran the previous night and died the following morning, leaving Manisha shattered, as she was deeply connected to her father. She did not want to leave home and also contemplated giving up wrestling.
But her family members convinced her to go, saying that all of her father's efforts would go down the drain if she gave up. Manisha went on to compete at the tournament, wrapping up her campaign with a bronze medal finish.
It marked the beginning of a course which would make her a title winner at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana.
