Manisha Bhanwala wins India’s first women’s wrestling world title

Manisha Bhanwala defeated Abigail Nette 8-6 in the women’s 59kg final at the Wrestling World Championships in Astana on October 30, becoming the first Indian woman to win a senior world title. Bhanwala, 29, also became only the second Indian wrestler to win a senior world championship gold, after Sushil Kumar in 2010. Bhanwala rallied after falling behind 0-6, turning the final around with a late scoring surge. A takedown and subsequent scoring brought her level at 6-6 before she moved ahead and held on for the victory. The reports describe the sequence in differing levels of detail, but agree on the final score and her comeback from the six-point deficit. The title followed a run of wins through the bracket. Bhanwala pinned Canada’s Laurence Beauregard in the round of 16, beat Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu 6-0 in the quarterfinals and defeated Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva by technical superiority in the semifinals. The final against Nette, representing the United States, was the closest match of her campaign. Bhanwala’s victory was the headline result for India’s women at the championship. Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak won silver medals, while Tanu Sharma took bronze....