Shikhar Dhawan Congratulates Wrestler Manisha Bhanwala on Historic Gold Medal Win

New Delhi, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan extended his heartfelt congratulations to wrestler Manisha Bhanwala after she made history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships. This remarkable achievement took place on Friday in Astana, Kazakhstan, where she competed in the women’s 59-kilogram weight class final.

Dhawan took to social media platform X to celebrate her victory, stating, “Becoming a world champion after trailing 0-6. What a fantastic fighter you are, Manisha. You have made the entire nation proud. Congratulations!”

Manisha faced a challenging start against Abigail Net of the United States. She fell behind early, with Net executing a four-point throw and benefiting from an unsuccessful challenge from the Indian camp, putting her at a 5-0 disadvantage. A warning issued to Manisha further extended Net’s lead to 6-0.

Undeterred, Manisha began her comeback before the break by scoring a step-out point. She maintained her momentum in the second round, narrowing the gap with a takedown. Following another failed challenge from the American side, she earned an additional point and seized the opportunity to attack from a par terre position.

Manisha capitalized on this chance with a two-point gut-wrench move, leveling the score at 6-6. She then executed a decisive takedown, taking an 8-6 lead. In the final moments, Manisha thwarted all of Net’s attempts to come back, securing a memorable victory.

Her journey to the final was equally impressive. Manisha began her campaign by defeating Canada’s Lawrence Buregaard 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals, followed by a win against Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuy in the semifinals, which earned her a spot in the gold medal match.