Manisha Bhanwala, on October 30, 2026, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the World Wrestling Championships. She defeated American Abigail Nette in the 59kg freestyle final. This is a huge milestone not only for Manisha but also for India, as only Sushil Kumar won this title in the men’s 66kg freestyle in 2010.

Who is Manisha Bhanwala?

Born in the Rohtak district of Haryana, Manisha Bhanwala's introduction to wrestling was quite different. She reportedly started wrestling to lose weight at the behest of her father, but fate had other plans as she became deeply interested in the sports.
Manisha wore a T-shirt with her father's picture after winning the world title in Astana and has shared how much her father motivated her to achieve her dreams. He passed away in 2022, which was a big setback for Manisha in her personal life.
"My father did everything for me and was passionate about the sport. His contribution to making me a wrestler is huge. Since the time I started wrestling, I have had only one dream — to win something big in the sport," she said about her father after winning.
Her father passed away on the same morning she was supposed to go to Mongolia for an important tournament. She eventually went there after her family convinced her to go and returned with a bronze medal. She further won three more Asian medals, including a gold last year.
Sports is deeply ingrained in Manisha Bhanwala's family as her brother Rinku is a kabaddi player, while her sister-in-law Mamta Sihag is also a wrestler.
For the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Manisha aims for another big win in the 57 kg category. She shifted weight divisions from 65kg to 57kg. She won gold in 62kg at the Asian Championships last year and competed in 62kg (2023) and 65kg (2024), and 62kg (2025) in her previous World Championships.
Not just Manisha, other Indian women wrestlers achieved big milestones, including Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and 18-year-old Kajal Dhochak (76kg) took silver in Olympic weight classes. Tanu Sharma won bronze in 72kg.
(Image Credits: Instagram)
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