Manisha Bhanwala becomes third Indian woman to reach World Wrestling Championships Final

Manisha Bhanwala (59kg) was the third Indian woman to enter the final at the World wrestling championships in Astana on Thursday (October 29, 2026).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 (October 30, 2026), 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 lost 3-3 on criteria to Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the quarterfinals. Sujeet had rallied from 2-9 down to beat the Tajikistan wrestler in the Asiad final. Published - October 30, 2026 06:19 am IST