Manisha Bhanwala moved within one victory of creating history for Indian wrestling after storming into the women’s 59kg final at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.
The 29-year-old Indian wrestler delivered a dominant performance in the semi-final, defeating Kazakhstan’s home favourite Altyn Shagayeva by a commanding 10-0 scoreline. The emphatic victory secured Manisha a place in the gold-medal bout and put her on the brink of becoming the first Indian woman to win a world championship title in wrestling.
Manisha will face Abigail Nette of the United States in Friday’s final, where she will have the opportunity to achieve a landmark result for the country. Her qualification has placed her among the leading performers in India’s women’s wrestling contingent at this edition of the championships. After overcoming Shagayeva convincingly in the semi-final, Manisha will now look to carry that momentum into the title contest and complete a campaign that could bring a historic breakthrough for Indian women’s wrestling.
By reaching the final, Manisha became the third Indian female wrestler to advance to a title bout at the ongoing World Wrestling Championships. She joined Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi, who had also secured places in the finals. Their progress represents a notable showing by the Indian women’s team at the competition, with three wrestlers reaching the final stage. Manisha’s qualification adds to that achievement and gives India another opportunity to compete for a world title.
The semi-final victory was particularly significant because Manisha faced Shagayeva in front of the Kazakh wrestler’s home crowd. Despite the pressure of competing against a local favourite, the Indian produced a commanding result, winning 10-0 to seal her place in the final. The margin of victory underlined the strength of her performance in the decisive bout, allowing her to move forward in the tournament with a chance to fight for the gold medal.
The final against Nette will determine whether Manisha can turn her impressive run into a historic championship victory. The American wrestler stands between the Indian and a title that would make Manisha the first Indian woman to become a world champion in wrestling. With the contest scheduled for Friday, Manisha will aim to maintain the composure and control she displayed in the semi-final as she prepares for the biggest bout of her campaign.
Manisha’s achievement has already secured her a place among the three Indian women to reach the final at this edition of the World Wrestling Championships, alongside Kajal and Neelam. However, she will now be focused on the opportunity to go one step further and claim the gold medal. A victory over Nette would mark a historic moment for Indian wrestling, while also completing Manisha’s journey from the semi-final stage to the top of the world championship podium.