For the 29-year-old Manisha Bhanwala, October 31, 2026, will remain etched in her memory forever. The Haryana wrestler scripted history at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, defeating American Abigail Nette in the 59kg freestyle final to become India’s first woman world champion in wrestling.

The achievement was no ordinary feat by an Indian wrestler, only second to claim a senior world crown after twice Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who clinched the men’s 66kg freestyle title in 2010. For Bhanwala, her gold, won in the 59kg category, was particularly satisfying after the frustration of returning empty-handed from Japan, where she had been confident of winning a medal.

Manisha’s introduction to wrestling came at a young age when her father enrolled her in a hostel because she was considered unfit. Watching senior wrestlers and Indian athletes win medals gradually fuelled her ambition. After failing to make much of an impression at the junior and sub-junior levels, she resolved to make her mark in the senior category.

A father’s dream, a daughter’s determination

Her father, who introduced her to wrestling and played a major role in shaping her career, died in 2022. Before the World Championships final, she wore a special T-shirt in his memory, a tribute to the man whose encouragement had been central to her journey.

For the past four years, it has been a photograph of her father, Suresh Bhanwala. She refers to him with a mixture of affection and respect as father sahab.

After Suresh passed away in 2022, Manisha says there has not been a day since then that she has not thought of him. “I’m from a small village. A very simple family. My father sahab was the one who encouraged me to become a wrestler. He always believed I would be the best. He believed in me when others didn’t,” she once told Sportstar.

She says she continues to speak to him, drawing strength from the feeling that he remains with her.

“I cannot tell you how much my father contributed to my career. I keep talking to him as if he is living inside me. He is a part of my life; he is in my heart,” she said.

“My father taught me that either you do not get involved in any work, or you finish it completely. That is in my blood,” she said. “Wrestling is the first and last option for me. It has given me life, a name and the ability to live.”

The family that stood behind the wrestler

The wrestler from Jind in Haryana comes from a farming family where sport runs deep. Her brother Rinku is a kabaddi player, while her sister-in-law Mamta Sihag is also a wrestler. It was watching her brother play kabaddi in their village that first 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,” Rinku told PTI.

“She was preparing to leave, but our father passed away that very morning. He had attended a jagran and died in his sleep. She was so attached to all of us that she did not want to go. We had to tell her that all the efforts our father had made to make her a wrestling champion would go to waste if she gave up. We somehow convinced her to board the flight to Mongolia,” Rinku recalled.

Manisha eventually competed at the tournament and returned with a bronze medal. That was the beginning of a journey that would eventually take her to the top of the wrestling world. After that she won three more Asian medals, including a gold last year.

Scripting history in Kazakhstan

The 29-year-old’s triumph ended India’s long wait for a world champion and capped an unprecedented campaign for the women’s team, which had three wrestlers competing in gold medal bouts in the same edition of the World Championships for the first time.

Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) had settled for silver on Thursday (October 29, 2026), but Manisha ensured that India would not return without a gold, pulling off one of the most memorable comebacks.

Nette came out aggressively, launching a right-leg attack before securing a tight grip and lifting Manisha’s leg to gain control. However, Manisha fought desperately for nearly 30 seconds but was eventually thrown from near the edge of the mat, conceding a four-pointer.

With Nette leading 5-0, Manisha tried to push her opponent out of the mat, but the American cleverly circled away. Manisha was subsequently handed caution, taking the score to 6-0 in Nette’s favour. Manisha managed a push-out point before the first period ended with the American firmly in control.

When Nette attempted another leg attack, Manisha slipped behind her to execute a takedown. The American corner challenged the decision, arguing that the referee had blown the whistle to stop the action, but lost the review, earning Manisha an additional point.

Manisha Bhanwala has set her sights on a 57kg category medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the seasoned wrestler is drawing strength from a father who continues to live in her heart.