Chandigarh, Nov 3 — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, along with Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam, felicitated wrestler Manisha Bhanwala for her historic gold medal-winning performance at the Senior World Wrestling Championships.v
Manisha, who hails from Siwaha village in Haryana's Jind district, created history on October 30 by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships.
The 25-year-old wrestler clinched the 59 kg title after defeating the USA's Abigail Elizabeth Nette 8-6 in a thrilling final in Astana, Kazakhstan. Manisha staged a remarkable comeback after trailing 0-6 to secure the historic victory and end India's long wait for a women's world champion in wrestling.
Following the felicitation, Saini shared his thoughts on meeting the wrestler, describing the interaction as an energetic meeting with Haryana's World Champion daughter, who had presented the country with a Diwali gift through her achievement.
"An energetic meeting took place in Chandigarh with Haryana's world champion daughter, Manisha Bhanwala, who won a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championship and gifted the country a Diwali present," Saini wrote on X.
He also praised Manisha's conduct after her triumph, highlighting her humility and respect for elders. "Your humble demeanour after the victory and respect towards elders beautifully reflect the values and traditions of Haryana," he added.
Manisha's gold medal was India's first in women's wrestling at the Senior World Championships. Her triumph also helped India finish the competition with four medals, including one gold, two silver and one bronze.
Before Manisha's breakthrough, Anshu Malik came closest to winning the title, securing silver in 2021. At the 2026 edition, Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi also won silver medals, contributing to India's successful campaign.
In the men's freestyle competition, Vicky Hooda's campaign ended in the 97kg repechage round. Going up against Iranian heavyweight Hassan Yazdani, Vicky was handed a 0-10 defeat by technical superiority.