Manisha Bhanwala wins first Indian women’s wrestling world gold
Manisha Bhanwala defeated USA’s Abigail Nette 8-6 in the 59kg final in Astana.
Manisha Bhanwala became the first Indian woman to win gold at the Wrestling World Championships, beating Abigail Nette 8-6 in Astana. Sportstar reported she is only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to win world gold.
Key takeaways
- Manisha Bhanwala won the 59kg final against Abigail Nette by 8-6 in Astana
- She is the first Indian woman to win Wrestling World Championship gold
- She is only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to win world gold
- She began her campaign with a Victory By Fall in the round of 16
Manisha Bhanwala created history in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday as she became the first-ever Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Wrestling World Championships, Sportstar reported. The 29-year-old came from behind to defeat USA’s Abigail Nette 8-6 in a thrilling 59kg final.
Key moments
Manisha began her campaign with a Victory By Fall in the round of 16. She then took down Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the wrestler from Haryana defeated local favourite Altyn Shagayeva.
Final comeback
In the final, Manisha suffered an early setback as Nette quickly executed a four-point move. The Indian challenged that call only to lose and give another point to the American. A caution against Manisha extended Nette’s advantage to 6-0. But Manisha got a stepout before the break to get one point on board.
Second period
In the second period, Manisha started her comeback with a takedown against Nette. The 28-year-old American challenged arguing that the referee had whistled to stop the bout. The unsuccessful challenge awarded one more point to Manisha and position in par terre.
Winning sequence
From 6-4, Manisha managed to turn Nette using a gut-wrench for two points. She even tried holding the American for the fall but could not execute it. At 6-6, Nette was still ahead based on the criterion of a bigger scoring move and tried to run down the clock. However, Manisha scored another takedown and held on to her 8-6 lead to create history.
Historic context
Manisha is only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar (66kg, 2010 Moscow) to win the gold medal at the Wrestling World Championships. She overcame her disappointing performance in the 57kg weight class at the Asian Games in Japan to give a dominating performance in the non-Olympic category.
Other Indian medallists
At the ongoing edition, Manisha is the fourth Indian medallist in women’s wrestling after Neelam Sirohi (silver, 50kg), Kajal Dhochak (silver, 76kg) and Tanu Sharma (bronze, 72kg).
India’s women’s wrestling medallists at the ongoing championships
Wrestler | Weight | Medal |
|---|---|---|
Neelam Sirohi | 50kg | Silver |
Kajal Dhochak | 76kg | Silver |
Tanu Sharma | 72kg | Bronze |
Manisha Bhanwala | 59kg | Gold |
Related on Apex Sports News
Manisha Bhanwala becomes third Indian woman to reach World Wrestling Championships final
Kajal Dhochak wins silver as India creates history at World Wrestling Championships
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