Manisha Bhanwala wins historic world wrestling gold

Manisha Bhanwala became the first Indian woman to win a senior world wrestling title, defeating Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women’s 59kg final at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on October 30. Bhanwala overturned a 6-0 deficit to claim the gold. The result made her only the second Indian wrestler to win a senior world title, after Sushil Kumar, who took the men’s 66kg crown in 2010. The Indian’s comeback followed a difficult opening period. Nette built the lead with an early scoring move and a further point after an unsuccessful challenge by India, before a caution against Bhanwala extended the advantage. Bhanwala scored a point before the break, then rallied in the second period to level the bout at 6-6 and move ahead 8-6. She defended the lead to the finish. Bhanwala said practising difficult match situations with her coaches helped her respond to the deficit. She said training included scenarios in which she had to score in the final seconds, and that the preparation helped her remain composed. Her account of the preparation was made in a media interaction after the championship. The title capped a four-medal performance by India’s women at the...