Since 2022, Manisha Bhanwala has attended just one wedding. She carries her own food whenever possible and usually turns down restaurant meals.
Sweets, which she loves, have been off the menu for years, her coach says. After winning a world title, she finally allowed herself some chocolate.
“Today I will have something sweet,” coach Virender Dahiya recalled her saying in a conversation with The Telegraph Online from Astana in Kazakhstan.
The small celebration followed a remarkable comeback. Trailing 0-6 against American Abigail Elizabeth Nette in the women’s 59 kg final, Manisha fought back to win 8-6 and become India’s first female wrestling world champion.
Speaking to The Telegraph Online, Manisha described a life in which even meeting people could feel like a distraction.
“From 2022 until now, I’ve attended just one wedding.I haven’t attended any other functions or eaten at them. I don’t even meet people because I feel I’ll get distracted.”
That discipline extends to eating out, although she makes exceptions when necessary.
“If there’s no other option, that’s different. But usually, I say no. I carry my own food whenever possible.”
Dahiya has watched those choices become part of her routine.
“Manisha has given up so much. She lives for wrestling. That is her only focus,” he said.
“She also loves sweets, but she has avoided them completely for nearly four years to keep her weight under control. She avoids sugar-based products because weight control is essential in wrestling.”
‘The real sacrifices were made by my family’
Manisha was quick to shift the conversation away from what she had given up.
“The real sacrifices were made by my family. Given our circumstances, they’ve lived for me all these years and taken such good care of me. They’ve sacrificed so much,” she said.
Their support survived years of questions about whether her efforts would amount to anything.
“People would say: ‘She’s been practising for 12 or 13 years. What is she going to do now?’ They don’t understand what it takes to become a champion.
“Some relatives would ask my mother: ‘Is she still going to compete?’ My mother would say: ‘As long as she wants to’.”
Her belief in work, Manisha said, came from home.
“Ever since I was a child, I was taught that if we’ve been born as human beings, we’re here to do something. That belief runs in my family. My father was like that too.
“I also believe strongly in karma. Whatever you do, you get the same in return.”
Her father, who passed away in 2022, remains a presence in her wrestling. Dahiya said she always carries her father’s photograph.
“She tells me: ‘I still feel that my father is around me 24 hours a day’,” he said.
“After the bout yesterday [Friday], she shared a photograph of her father. She says: ‘Whatever I am doing is for my father. I am here because of him’.”
At 0-6, a plan and the belief to keep going
The final tested that belief. But Dahiya said their preparation gave them a reason to stay hopeful even when Nette built a six-point lead.
“The night before the final, we watched several videos of her American opponent. We noticed that she tired as the bout progressed. That was her weakness, while Manisha’s strength was that she became more aggressive as the bout went on.”
The coach admitted he was nervous. His instructions were meant to keep Manisha focused on the opportunities still available.
“I was a little nervous at 0-6, but Manisha also knew that her opponent would tire and that she could recover. I kept telling her: ‘Manisha, don’t worry. There is still time. She will tire, and you can score points.’
“That is exactly what happened. In the last three minutes, Manisha kept scoring, and we won 8-6.”
The victory followed the disappointment of returning from the Asian Games without a medal. But Dahiya said that the team had arrived at the World Championships convinced she could reach the podium.
“We were medal contenders at the Asian Games, and we were medal contenders here too. We came prepared and determined not to leave without a medal.”
For Manisha, the celebration could finally include something she had spent years refusing.
“Yes, she had something sweet after many months,” Dahiya said. “She added honey to warm milk and said: ‘Today I will have something sweet.’