New Delhi, November 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala has credited years of scenario-based training with her coaches for helping her overturn a 0-6 deficit in the gold-medal bout of the Senior World Wrestling Championships and become the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the event.
The 23-year-old scripted the historic victory in the women’s 59kg category in Astana, Kazakhstan, recovering from a difficult start against Abigail Neto without allowing the deficit to affect her mentally.
Speaking about the comeback, Manisha said her training regularly involved situations in which she had to score points in the final 30 seconds or turn around a challenging bout.
“Our coaches give us situations where we have to take points in 30 seconds. We practise for that. I had been working for a long time to handle such situations, and it helped. There was no mental pressure,” she said during a media interaction on Sunday.
Manisha also spoke about the disappointment of missing out on a medal in the women’s 57kg category at the Asian Games. However, with only 10 days between the two competitions, she quickly redirected her attention towards the World Championships.
She said she worked on the shortcomings exposed at the Asian Games and chose to compete in the 59kg category in Astana, as managing her weight and recovery for another appearance in the 57kg division would have been difficult in the short interval.
Looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Manisha said she intends to compete in the 57kg category in next year’s qualification events, as 59kg is not an Olympic weight category.
She also stressed the importance of competing in all four ranking series events in 2027 to gain valuable preparation and experience ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.
The wrestler acknowledged the support provided through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which has backed her since 2024. She said its financial assistance and opportunities to attend overseas training camps had helped her train with international wrestlers and build confidence.
Manisha added that TOPS officials continued to encourage her after the Asian Games setback and urged her to focus on the Los Angeles Olympics.
Her gold was part of India’s four-medal tally at the World Championships, where the country also secured two silver medals and a bronze.
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