‘Manisha Has Completed The Missing Piece Of The Puzzle’: Alka Tomar Hails India’s First Women’s World Wrestling Champion

Indian women's wrestling has reached a historic milestone, and former wrestler Alka Tomar believes Manisha Bhanwala's World Championships gold has finally filled a void that the country had been waiting to overcome for years.

Manisha created history at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Friday, becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in women's freestyle at the senior World Championships.

The 29-year-old produced a remarkable comeback in the 59kg final, overturning a six-point deficit to defeat reigning Pan American champion Abigail Nette of the United States 8-6.

It was more than just a gold medal. It was a breakthrough moment for Indian women's wrestling, which had steadily established its presence on the international stage but was still waiting for a wrestler to reach the summit of the senior World Championships.

Reacting to this landmark achievement in an exclusive conversation with myKhel, Alka Tomar, India's first woman to win a World Championships medal, described the triumph as a moment of immense pride and happiness.

"It is a matter of great happiness and pride. When I became the first Indian woman to win a medal at the World Championships in 2006, I was sharing that achievement with the children today. But now Manisha has gone a step further by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the World Championships. This is a huge achievement. We have been winning more and more medals at the World Championships, but a gold medal had eluded us until now. Manisha has finally completed that missing piece of the puzzle."

Tomar's words carry particular significance. Nearly two decades ago, she opened the door for Indian women wrestlers by winning bronze at the 2006 World Championships. Now, Manisha has taken that legacy forward by achieving something no Indian woman had managed before.

The historic victory also placed Manisha in an elite category of Indian wrestling. She became only the second Indian wrestler to win a senior World Championships title, joining two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who claimed the men's 66kg freestyle gold in 2010.

Beyond the result, Tomar was particularly impressed by Manisha's confidence and preparation throughout the season. According to the former wrestler, the determination to achieve something significant was evident even before the World Championships began.

Recalling her conversation with Manisha ahead of this year's selection trials, Tomar highlighted the champion's belief in her preparations and her ambition to deliver a major result.

"One thing that really stood out about Manisha during this tournament was her confidence. The way she trained throughout this year was impressive. I remember speaking to her before the trials this year, when I asked her how her preparations were going. She told me that her training was going really well and that she was preparing for a big medal."

That confidence translated into performances on the mat. Manisha began her campaign with an impressive victory by fall over Canada's Laurence Beauregard, a four-time Pan American champion and 2025 World Championships bronze medallist.

She subsequently dominated Mongolia's Bolortuya Khurelkhuu 6-0 in the quarter-finals before delivering another commanding performance against Kazakhstan's Altyn Shagayeva in the semi-finals.

Against the home favourite, Manisha established a 3-0 advantage in the opening period before extending her lead to 10-0 and securing victory by fall.

However, it was the final that truly defined her championship campaign. Trailing 6-0 against Nette, Manisha refused to surrender. She gradually fought her way back into the contest, overturned the deficit and secured an unforgettable 8-6 victory to claim the gold medal.

The achievement was particularly special considering the journey Manisha had endured at previous World Championships.

The 2025 Asian champion had participated in three senior World Championships before finally standing on the podium. Her closest opportunity came in 2024, when she reached the bronze medal bout in the non-Olympic 65kg category in Tirana but suffered an 8-2 defeat against Japan's Miwa Morikawa.

Earlier this month, Manisha also faced a difficult challenge at the Asian Games 2026, competing in the 57kg category. Her campaign ended in the quarter-finals after a 3-0 defeat against Japan's Akari Fujinami, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion and two-time world champion.

Rather than allowing those setbacks to define her season, Manisha returned to the mat with renewed determination. A switch to the non-Olympic 59kg category at the World Championships eventually proved rewarding, as she produced the finest performance of her career.

For Tomar, however, this historic achievement could be the beginning of something even bigger.

While winning a World Championships gold is a remarkable accomplishment in itself, Tomar believes the triumph could provide Manisha with the foundation to pursue the ultimate dream of every wrestler: an Olympic medal.

"Every athlete dreams of winning an Olympic medal, and I believe this World Championships gold medal is, in many ways, the beginning of that journey for Manisha."

Tomar's message reflects the growing expectations surrounding Indian women's wrestling. Manisha has now demonstrated that Indian wrestlers can compete at the highest level and overcome even the toughest international opponents when it matters most.

Her victory also strengthened India's campaign in Astana, taking the country's medal tally to four, comprising one gold, two silver and one bronze. Notably, all four medals came in women's freestyle wrestling.

From Alka Tomar's historic bronze in 2006 to Manisha Bhanwala's golden breakthrough in 2026, Indian women's wrestling has travelled a remarkable distance.

The bronze medal once represented a new beginning. The gold medal now represents a new benchmark.

And as Tomar rightly believes, Manisha's greatest journey may only have begun.