Nishu Secures 53kg World Championships Berth After Winning Trials

Promising Indian wrestler Nishu Bhanwala has secured her place in the women's 53kg freestyle category for the Senior World Wrestling Championships after emerging victorious in the national selection trials on Monday.

The World Championships are scheduled to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.

Nishu, a bronze medallist at the U-23 World Championships, produced a dominant performance in the final of the selection trials, defeating Thishka 12-2 to claim the 53kg spot.

Her selection comes after two-time World Championships bronze medallist Antim Panghal decided to compete in the non-Olympic 55kg category instead of the 53kg division at this year's Worlds.

National wrestling coach Virender Dahiya confirmed Nishu's selection.

"Yes, Nishu is selected for 53kg and she will go to the World Championships. Antim will give trials in 55kg," Dahiya said.

Antim's decision also means she will avoid the demanding process of repeatedly cutting weight within a short period. With the Asian Games in Japan approaching, the 55kg category provides her with an opportunity to compete without the additional burden of making the Olympic 53kg limit for the World Championships.

The Wrestling Federation of India is also expected to conduct another round of trials after the Asian Games. The Asian Games-bound wrestlers will be given an opportunity to compete for their respective World Championships spots, although Antim has already indicated that she intends to compete at 55kg, according to a WFI official.

For Antim, the focus will eventually turn towards the bigger prize of securing qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The 2027 Senior World Championships in Las Vegas, scheduled for September 11-19, will serve as a qualification event for the LA Olympics.

Nishu has already shown that she can challenge India's established names. During the Asian Games selection trials in May, she gave Vinesh Phogat a major scare in their 53kg bout.

Nishu came close to finishing the contest with a pin in the opening period, but could not complete the move. Vinesh eventually prevailed in a closely fought encounter before her campaign ended with a semi-final defeat to Meenakshi Goyat.

Meenakshi did not enter the latest trials, while Vinesh's request to participate was rejected by the Delhi High Court.

Meanwhile, India's World Championships squad is also taking shape in other women's freestyle categories. Simran has been cleared to compete in the 57kg division and Srishti in the 68kg category, with the Asian Games-bound wrestlers not competing in those Olympic weight classes at the World Championships.

However, wrestlers such as Neelam in 50kg, Tapsya in 62kg and Kajal in 76kg will have to wait for the final selection trials, where they are expected to face the wrestlers currently bound for the Asian Games.

With the Astana World Championships fast approaching, Nishu's victory marks an important step in her senior international career and gives the young wrestler an opportunity to make her mark on the biggest stage of the season.