The first thing Manisha Bhanwala wanted to show the world after becoming a world champion was not her medal. It was a white T-shirt carrying photographs of her parents.As the 29-year-old wrestler celebrated her historic World Championships gold, she held up the T-shirt for everyone to see. There were no words needed to explain the moment. It was her way of bringing her parents into a success they had always dreamed of but her father did not live to witness.Manisha defeated American Abigail Nette 8-6 in a thrilling comeback victory in the final to become the first Indian woman wrestler to win a World Championships gold. But behind this historic achievement was a personal story of loss, family sacrifices and a promise she had made to herself.Her father, Suresh, passed away in 2022. Four years later, Manisha has fulfilled the dream he had for his daughter.
The day that changed Manisha’s life
Manisha’s journey in wrestling began with inspiration from her own family. Growing up in a farming family in Jind, Haryana, she watched her elder brother Rinku play kabaddi in the village. That was what first made her interested in sports.With several members of the family involved in sports, taking up wrestling became a natural choice. Her brother plays kabaddi, while her sister-in-law Mamta Sihag is also a wrestler.Rinku remembers that Manisha always had the physical strength and mental toughness needed to compete.“We all played sports in the family. She used to watch me play kabaddi in the village and that inspired her. We then decided that she should take up an individual sport rather than a team game. She was physically strong and mental toughness was always her biggest strength,” Rinku told PTI.However, one morning in 2022 brought a major setback in her life.
Manisha Bhanwala (Image credit: WFI)
Manisha was preparing to travel to Mongolia for the Asian Championships when tragedy struck. Her father had attended a ‘jagran’ the previous night. The following morning, he passed away in his sleep due to a cardiac arrest.The news left Manisha devastated. She was deeply attached to her family and could not imagine leaving home at such a difficult time. She even considered walking away from wrestling.
Brother’s words gave her the strength to continue
The family knew how much Manisha’s father had sacrificed to help her become a wrestler. They did not want all those efforts to go in vain.Rinku and the other family members tried to convince her to continue with the tournament, reminding her of the dream their father had for her.“She was preparing to leave, but our father passed away that very morning. He had attended a jagran and died in his sleep. She was so attached to all of us that she did not want to go.“We had to tell her that all the efforts our father had made to make her a wrestling champion would go to waste if she gave up. We somehow convinced her to board the flight to Mongolia,” Rinku recalled.Manisha eventually travelled to Mongolia and returned with a bronze medal from the Asian Championships.That was an important moment in her career. She continued competing and went on to win three more Asian medals, including a gold last year.But the biggest prize was still waiting for her.
She carried her parents to the World Championships
Before leaving for Astana for the World Championships, Manisha decided to do something special. She got photographs of her parents printed on a white T-shirt.It was not just something she wanted to wear during the competition. She had a clear purpose behind it. She wanted to win the gold medal and show the T-shirt to the world.
Manisha Bhanwala (Image credit: WFI)
Her brother said she was determined to make that moment happen.“She had got the pictures of our parents printed on a white T-shirt before leaving for Astana. It was her determination that she would win gold and show that T-shirt to everyone. She did exactly that,” Rinku said.And she kept her promise.After fighting back to beat Abigail Nette 8-6 in the final, Manisha displayed the T-shirt. The celebration was about more than becoming a world champion. It was about a father who had believed in her and a family that had stood by her through difficult times.Rinku said the victory had fulfilled a dream shared by the entire family.“It was our family’s dream that she become a world champion, and today she has achieved it. This is even more special for our father. His dream and the dream of the entire family have come true,” he added.
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A long journey across weight categories
Manisha’s road to the top was also marked by several changes in weight categories. She competed in the 62kg, 65kg and 57kg divisions before finding her biggest success in the non-Olympic 59kg category.At 29, she has finally reached the top of world wrestling.Her journey began in a village in Haryana, where watching her brother play kabaddi introduced her to sports. It took her through personal tragedy, difficult decisions and years of hard work before she achieved what her father had always wanted.The gold medal belongs to Manisha. But the moment she held up that white T-shirt, she made sure her father’s dream shared the spotlight.
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