Manisha Bhanwala has become the first Indian woman to claim a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships, triumphing in the 59kg category in Astana — and the Rohtak-born grappler says the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) was central to that historic achievement.

From Asian Games Heartbreak to World Gold

The road to Astana was fuelled by frustration. Manisha had exited the Asian Games in the quarterfinal stage, losing to Japan's Akari, and returned home determined to make amends. 'After that quarterfinal bout in the Asian Games against Japan's Akari, I was filled with frustration because I knew how much work I had put in,' she said.

'I landed in India on a Monday morning and was back at the training hall by evening. My coach told me to rest and focus on recovery, but I asked him, 'Did I win a medal that I should sit back and recover?' In those ten days between the Asian Games and the World Championships, I pushed myself without stopping. I knew I could not sit peacefully until I achieved what I set out to do,' she added.

How the PWL Forged a World Champion's Mindset

Manisha attributed her composure on the world stage directly to the demands of the Pro Wrestling League, where short turnarounds and elite opponents are the norm. 'In traditional tournaments, you get weeks between events, but the Pro Wrestling League throws you straight into the fire,' she explained.

'You wrestle a world-class bout today and have to reset your mindset immediately for another one tomorrow. That routine taught me to control my emotions and stay calm. When I made the world final in Astana, I put my phone away and conserved all my nervous energy, just like we do during back-to-back league ties,' she said.

Sparring With World Champions Removed the Fear Factor

Beyond the mental conditioning, the PWL gave Manisha something equally valuable: regular access to elite foreign wrestlers. She noted that competing against international champions in global events once generated hesitation, but sharing training mats with them in the league changed her perspective entirely.

'In the PWL, you share the locker room and training mats with them. I spent weeks sparring and analysing holds with world champions like Bilyana Dudova and top wrestlers from Armenia. Once you train together daily, you realise they are human too. It gave me the conviction that Indian wrestlers can dominate on any stage,' she said.

What Comes Next: PWL Season 6 and the Olympic Quota

Manisha is set to feature in PWL Season 6 in Delhi in January 2027, where she plans to test herself before transitioning to the Olympic weight category of 57kg ahead of the qualification cycle. 'Season 6 in Delhi is happening at the perfect time because the Olympic qualifiers begin next year. Real match practice under bright lights against elite foreign opponents will give me the sharpness I need to earn that Olympic quota,' she said.

She also made a broader point about the sport's image, arguing that wrestling is 'a game of microseconds where your brain has to work faster than your limbs' and that the PWL is helping shift public perception of the discipline as modern and technical. With an Olympic berth now firmly in her sights, Manisha's journey from Asian Games disappointment to world champion is far from over.