Manisha Bhanwala created history on October 30, 2026, by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships. Competing in the women's 59kg freestyle category in Astana, Kazakhstan, the 29-year-old defeated American wrestler Abigail Nette 8-6 in the final after recovering from a six-point deficit.
The victory marks a significant milestone for Indian wrestling, which had previously come close to securing a women's world title but had not won gold at the senior level. Bhanwala's achievement also made her only the second Indian wrestler to win a senior world championship title, following Sushil Kumar, who won gold in the men's 66kg category in 2010.
The final against Nette began on a difficult note. Nette took an early 6-0 lead, putting the Indian grappler under pressure. However, Bhanwala gradually recovered, reducing the deficit before mounting a decisive comeback in the second period.
She scored through a takedown and a gut-wrench turn to bring the contest level at 6-6. Bhanwala then secured an additional takedown to take an 8-6 lead, which she successfully defended until the final whistle. Nette was unable to overturn the result, handing India its first-ever women's gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships. According to United World Wrestling, Bhanwala's victory came after two earlier attempts by Indian wrestlers to win the title at the 2026 edition had ended in silver medals.
India finished the women's competition with four medals. Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi won silver medals, while Tanu Sharma secured bronze in the 72kg category. Bhanwala's gold completed the team's medal tally at the championships.
Bhanwala has set her sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Although the 59kg category is not an Olympic weight class, she has indicated that she intends to compete in the 57kg division, which is part of the Olympic programme.
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