Weight-Class Switch Powers Manisha Bhanwala To Historic World Championship Gold

Last Updated:October 31, 2026, 3:52 PM IST

Just weeks after missing out on an Asian Games medal, Manisha Bhanwala made the most of a bold move to 59kg.

Manisha Bhanwala in action (Picture credit: UWW)

For 16 years, double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar remained India’s only wrestling world champion. That changed with Manisha Bhanwala’s historic gold. It took Indian women 21 years to win their first World Championships title, having made their debut at the event in 2005.

Fittingly, India’s maiden medal at the championships had come in the 59kg category as well, with Alka Tomar winning bronze in 2006. Two decades later, Manisha brought things full circle by winning gold in the same weight class.

But it wasn’t easy. Just over 20 days ago, she was competing in the 57kg category at the Asian Games. At Aichi-Nagoya, Manisha lost to eventual bronze medallist Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinals.

Soon after, Manisha moved to 59kg for the World Championships, with Neha Sharma competing in 57kg. And now, she has created history by becoming India’s first women’s world champion.

“Both the Asian Games and the World Championships were major competitions and there was not much time to lose weight again between the two. We therefore decided to compete in the 59kg category,” coach Virender Dahiya replied to a query from News18 Sports during a media interaction.

“The Asian Games have only six weight categories, while the World Championships feature 10, giving a wrestler more options. Since 59kg was available to us, we decided to take that opportunity,” Dahiya added.

Having competed in the 57kg category at the Asian Games, Manisha moved up to 59kg for the World Championships in Astana, as the short turnaround between the two events left her with little time to recover and cut weight.

“I was confident of winning a medal at the Asian Games, but I knew I would have very little time to prepare for the World Championships. Losing weight in 10 days would have been tough, so I felt 59kg would be better,” Manisha said.

“The medal at the Asian Games was very important to me, but unfortunately, it did not happen,” Manisha added.

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How did Manisha Bhanwala win the gold medal at the Wrestling World Championships?

Manisha Bhanwala overcame a 0-6 deficit in the final against America’s Abigail Nette, staging a remarkable comeback by executing successive leg attacks to win 8-6 and secure the historic gold medal.

Why did Manisha Bhanwala switch to the 59kg weight category for the World Championships?

Manisha moved from 57kg to 59kg because the short turnaround after competing at the Asian Games left her with insufficient time to cut weight safely, and the World Championships offered 10 weight categories including 59kg.

Who was the only previous Indian wrestling world champion before Manisha Bhanwala?

Sushil Kumar was previously India’s only wrestling world champion, having claimed the men’s 66kg title in 2010 before Manisha became the first female wrestler and second Indian overall to achieve the feat.

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