New Delhi, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s first woman to win a senior World Wrestling Championships gold medal, Manisha Bhanwala, wants her historic achievement to open doors for a new generation of Indian women wrestlers and make world titles a regular feature of the country’s sporting success.
The 59kg wrestler, who clinched gold on Friday, said her record should be broken by more Indian women reaching the top of the sport. She also expressed hope that the country would build on this breakthrough at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Records are meant to be broken, and I want this record and achievement to be broken as well. I want more and more girls to emerge as world champions so that Indian women wrestlers winning world titles becomes the norm rather than an exception,” Manisha said during a media interaction facilitated by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Saturday.
India finished fourth in the medal standings at the 2026 Women’s Wrestling World Championships with four medals — one gold, two silver and one bronze. Neelam Sirohi won silver in the 50kg category, Kajal Dhochak secured silver in 76kg, while Tanu Sharma claimed bronze in 72kg.
India also finished fifth in the team rankings with 94 points, behind the United States, Japan, China and Ukraine.
The four-medal haul marked the country’s best-ever performance at the women’s world championships, surpassing its previous highest tally of two medals each in the 2012 and 2021 editions.
Manisha also urged her fellow wrestlers, particularly Sirohi and Dhochak, not to let setbacks at a major tournament undermine their confidence. She said every athlete experiences difficult days and patience is essential to achieving long-term success.
Drawing on her own experience of disappointments before reaching the top, she encouraged them to wait for their opportunities and remain focused on their goals.
Manisha’s next challenge will be to move down from 59kg to 57kg and adapt to the demands of the Olympic weight category as she begins preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
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