CHENNAI: It was her father, Suresh, who motivated her to take up wrestling around 14 years ago. Unfortunately when Manisha Bhanwala started gaining a reputation as a wrestler, her father passed away after suffering a heart attack. Hours after she left her home at Siwaha village in Jind district of Haryana to board a flight for Mongolia to take part in the 2022 Asian Championships, Suresh left for heavenly abode.
It's been more than four years but the 29-year-old wrestler believes her father is still with her and guides her in case of need. And Thursday was no different. On a day when she made the 59kg final at the ongoing World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, Manisha and is only a bout away to script history, Manisha said she never missed her father as he is with her all the time.
"He (father) is always with me. I still talk to him when I feel the need and he guides me in whatever way he can," Manisha told this daily from Astana. Manisha began her campaign with a dominating win by fall against Laurence Beauregard of Canada in the pre-quarterfinals before getting the better of Mongolian Bolortuya Khurelkhuu in the next round. She was up against local favourite Altyn Shagayeva in the semifinal but the Indian defeated her by fall to storm into the final, where she will take on Abigail Elizabeth Nette of USA on Friday.
But before Thursday, she has suffered heartbreaks thrice at the Worlds. Despite competing in three straight World Championships starting from 2023, she could never finish on the podium. One of the reasons was her weight category. Before switching to the 57kg weight category, she competed in quite a few divisions from 65kg to 62kg to 59kg. "When I started, I didn't know which weight category to choose. In 62kg I was doing good but my short frame (5-feet 2-inch) was proving to be a deterrent as most of the European wrestlers are tall and that made it difficult for me to compete against them. I had already competed in three Worlds without a positive result and the 2028 LA Games were also approaching, so I decided to move down to 57kg," she added.
Manisha competed in the 57kg division at the 2026 Asian Games but lost to Japanese ace Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinal. Fujinami was then shocked by North Korean wrestler Sim Son in the semifinal depriving Manisha a shot at the medal via repechage round. "That loss in Japan broke me as it was my maiden Asiad and I toiled for more than a year to finish on the podium in the event. I didn't visit my home in the last one year to prepare for the Asian Games. I also started doubting myself after it but the good thing was I managed to come out of it."
Manisha, who has won four Asian Championships medals including a gold in 2025, was desperately waiting for the Worlds to make up for the loss and even decided to compete in the 59kg fearing the small gap between the two events might cause issues. "Even before heading for Japan, I communicated my decision of competing in 59kg to the Wrestling Federation of India and won the trials in that category. I have a point to prove and I am happy I made it to the final."
"My father always used to say 'you have to finish a job if you have started it'. And now I have a job in hand. I will give my best in the final," Manisha said. If she finishes on top of the podium, she will become the first woman wrestler from the country to clinch a gold medal at the World Championships. "The stakes are high as no Indian woman wrestler has won a gold in the Worlds so far. Besides, the country has won only a gold so far (Sushil Kumar in 2010). So I want to win gold for the country," signed off Manisha.
