Manisha’s gold caps off best-ever display by Indian woman wrestlers at Worlds

On the final day of the Wrestling World Championships, Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala secured a gold medal, marking India's most successful performance in women's wrestling at the international level. After three attempts over three days, Manisha bested Abigail Nette of the United States with a score of 8-6 in the 59 kg final.

This achievement made her only the second Indian wrestler, after Sushil Kumar, to win a world championship title. The gold medal was part of a historic haul, as India earned four medals in total – three silver and one bronze – surpassing the previous best of one silver and a bronze from the 2021 edition. For the first time in the sport's 35-year history, Indian women wrestlers reached three finals and won four medals, with two victories coming in Olympic weight categories and two in non-Olympic classes.

National coach Virender Dahiya had anticipated a four-medal haul throughout the tournament, crediting his team's preparation and the fresh talent in the squad. Manisha, who failed to make the Asian Games team, credited her recent performances in international competitions, such as winning the U20 World title and U23 Asian title, as key to her success.