Manisha Bhanwala targets LA Olympics medal, carries father's legacy after world title

Manisha Bhanwala has set her sights on a 57kg category medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the seasoned wrestler is drawing strength from a father who continues to live in her heart.

The 29-year-old made history in Astana, Kazakhstan, by becoming the first Indian woman to win a senior World Championships gold in wrestling, turning the disappointment of the recent Asian Games into a career-defining triumph and giving herself a fresh target for the Olympic cycle.

Her gold, won in the 59kg category, was particularly satisfying after the frustration of returning empty-handed from Japan, where she had been confident of winning a medal. Rather than allow the setback to weigh her down, Manisha accepted her coach Virender Dahiya's advice to focus on the World Championships and make the opportunity count.

“There was no luck in the Asian Games. It was all frustration. I kept talking to the coach about wrestling, practice and recovery. He told me that the next target was the World Championship. I still remember him saying that God had planned something big for me,” Manisha said during an interaction facilitated by Wrestling Federation of India on Saturday.

After competing in the 57kg category at the Asian Games, Manisha opted for 59kg at the World Championships in Astana as she felt the short gap between the two events would leave her with little time to recover and shed 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. The medal at the Asian Games was very important to me, but unfortunately, it didn't happen,” she said.

The decision proved worthwhile as Manisha produced a remarkable comeback in the World Championships final, recovering from a 0-6 deficit to clinch the gold. Even when the contest appeared to be slipping away, she refused to panic and stuck to her attacking approach.

“Sometimes, when I concede points on the international stage, I feel the pressure. But then I tell myself to keep a clear mind and do what I have to do. I felt I needed to score at least 10 points,” she said.

Dahiya had seen that fighting spirit well before the world title came along. He first worked with Manisha in 2022, during a camp in Lucknow ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, when temperatures were touching 45 degrees Celsius. But she would turn up for two training sessions a day.

“She had no other hobby in life. Her only hobby was wrestling. The result is in front of you,” he said.

For Manisha, however, the triumph carries a significance that goes well beyond the medal.

Her father, who introduced her to wrestling and played a major role in shaping her career, died in 2022. Before the World Championships final, she wore a special T-shirt in his memory, a tribute to the man whose encouragement had been central to her journey.

She says she continues to speak to him, drawing strength from the feeling that he remains with her.

“I cannot tell you how much my father contributed to my career. I keep talking to him as if he is living inside me. He is a part of my life; he is in my heart,” she said.

His words continue to guide her, particularly the lesson that any task she takes up must be seen through to its conclusion.

"My father taught me that either you do not get involved in any work, or you finish it completely. That is in my blood,” she said. “Wrestling is the first and last option for me. It has given me life, a name and the ability to live.”

Manisha's introduction to wrestling came at a young age when her father enrolled her in a hostel because she was considered unfit. Watching senior wrestlers and Indian athletes win medals gradually fuelled her ambition. After failing to make much of an impression at the junior and sub-junior levels, she resolved to make her mark in the senior category.

She has since competed in four weight categories -- from 65kg to 57kg -- winning medals in all of them, the experience she believes has helped her adapt to different opponents and physical demands.

The immediate task is to return to 57kg, the category in which she plans to pursue her Olympic dream.

The Senior National Championships, the Pro Wrestling League and the national camp are next on the schedule, with the coaching staff set to chart her competition programme and preparations for the Olympic qualification cycle.

Manisha also credited the Pro Wrestling League with helping her become more comfortable under pressure.

Regular contests against foreign wrestlers and the experience of competing on consecutive days, she said, helped her remain composed during the World Championships.

Having made her senior debut at 25 and won her maiden world title at 29, Manisha is convinced that age is no barrier when dedication and the desire to succeed remain intact.

“It all depends on the mind. There is no difference between young and old. What matters is dedication,” she said.

She has already made her intentions clear for Los Angeles. “In 2028, you and I will meet in Los Angeles, with a medal.”

The world title has given Manisha her place in Indian wrestling history, but her sights are already set on the next challenge. This time, she wants to make the journey to Los Angeles count, with her father's memories firmly by her side.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed)