Who is Manisha Bhanwala? First Indian Woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships

Manisha Bhanwala has made history for Indian wrestling. At the senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, she won gold in the 59kg category. She is the first Indian woman ever to win a world title.

Manisha Bhanwala Performance in Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026

Manisha was dominant on her way to the title round. She first beat Laurence Beauregard, a world championships bronze medallist, and ended that bout with a pin. She then defeated Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu. In the semifinal she pinned Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva, which sent her into the final.

Manisha Bhanwala's Final

Her opponent was Elizabeth Nette of the USA, a Pan American champion. The final started badly, and Manisha was behind 1-6 at the end of the first period. She stayed calm and attacked repeatedly in the second half, turning the match around to win 8-6.

Why Manisha Bhanwala win historic?

No Indian woman had won a world wrestling title before this. The 59kg category is not an Olympic weight class, but the achievement is still a major milestone. The win also lifted the women’s team after a poor Asian Games campaign, where Antim Panghal’s silver in 53kg was India’s only women’s wrestling medal.

About Manisha Bhanwala

Manisha Bhanwala is a 29-year-old wrestler from Jind, Haryana. She has competed in several weight categories, from 57kg to 65kg, and this was her third world championships. That experience helped her in the final against Nette.

Why did she choose the 59kg category?

At the Asian Games, Manisha competed in the 57kg category, which is an Olympic weight class. She lost in the quarterfinals to Japan’s Akari Fujinami. For the world championships she moved to 59kg, and the decision paid off with a gold medal.