Manisha Bhanwala reaches World wrestling ch’ships final

FILE IMAGE: Manisha Bhanwala (Red) in action at the National Wrestling Championship 2025. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI

Manisha Bhanwala (59kg) became the third Indian woman to enter the final of the World wrestling championships in Astana on Thursday.

Manisha, who returned from the Asian Games without a medal in 57kg and jumped to the non-Olympic weight category at the Worlds, shocked World championships bronze medallist Laurence Beauregard by pinning the Canadian in the second period.

Then she beat Mongolian Olympian Bolortuya Khurelkhuu 6-0 and pinned Kazakhstan’s World under-23 bronze medallist Altyn Shagayeva to reach the title clash.

In the final on Friday, Manisha will face USA’s Pan-American champion Abigail Elizabeth Nette.

Earlier, Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) secured silver medals for the country.

Ahilya Shinde (55kg) was beaten 9-6 by Turkey’s Tuba Demir in the last-eight stage.

In men’s freestyle, Vicky (97kg) was defeated 12-2 by Japan’s Asian champion and Worlds bronze medallist Arash Yoshida in the quarterfinals. The Indian made it to the repechage round to stay in the race for a bronze medal.

Asian Games champion Sujeet Kalkal (65kg) had disappointment in store as he lost 3-3 to Abdulmazhid Kudiev on criteria in the quarterfinals. Sujeet had rallied from 2-9 down to beat the Tajikistan wrestler in the Asiad final.