By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2026-10-30 16:21:27
Manisha Bhanwala's world title is a landmark for Indian sport and the country is right to celebrate it. She beat the USA's Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women's 59kg final in Astana after trailing 0-6. She is the first Indian woman to win a senior world title and the second Indian after Sushil Kumar in 2010. The achievement stands on its own merit.
The result was built, not stumbled upon. Her Asian Championships gold in 2025 also came from behind, and her 2023 loss in Belgrade did not end her ascent. This journal records the discipline that made both recoveries possible.
The celebration must not be allowed to obscure the questions that follow. 59kg is a non-Olympic category, and the road to an Olympic podium remains a separate challenge. India's other medals in Astana, two silvers and a bronze, show real depth in women's wrestling. Depth, however, is not an accident either. It depends on coaching, medical support and fair selection, and all three are the responsibility of the federation and the ministry.
The verdict is plain. Manisha has done her part and done it in full. The federation and the government must now show, with published budgets and transparent selection, that they will do theirs. Praise is cheap. Preparation is not.









