New Delhi, Nov 2 (PTI) India’s historic World Championships gold medallist Manisha Bhanwala believes the pressure of handling back-to-back bouts in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) helped her develop the mental toughness needed to win the women’s 59kg title in Astana last month.
The 29-year-old became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships, achieving the feat just weeks after missing out on a podium finish at the Asian Games.
Manisha credited the demanding schedule of the PWL, where wrestlers have to quickly recover mentally between bouts, for preparing her to handle pressure on the biggest stage.
“In traditional tournaments, you get weeks between events, but the Pro Wrestling League throws you straight into the fire. 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,” she said.
Recalling the disappointment of her Asian Games campaign, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Japan’s Akari, Manisha said she returned to training immediately after landing in India.
“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,” she said.
Manisha said the experience of sharing training mats and locker rooms with international stars during the PWL also helped her overcome the psychological barrier of facing foreign opponents.
“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,” she said.
Having previously represented the Maharashtra Kesari franchise, Manisha is now looking forward to the sixth season of the PWL in Delhi, which she believes will provide valuable match practice ahead of the Olympic qualification cycle.
“My coaches often joke that my attacks do not even have official names because of my attacking style. The season 6 in Delhi is happening at the perfect time because the Olympic qualifiers begin next year. Having real match practice under bright lights against elite foreign opponents will give me the sharpness I need to earn that Olympic quota,” she said.
Manisha also believes the league can play an important role in popularising wrestling by showcasing its technical and tactical aspects to a wider audience.
“Many people still assume wrestling is only about raw muscle or mud pits, but it is a game of microseconds where your brain has to work faster than your limbs. The PWL brings that speed and strategy to television, showing everyone just how modern and technical our sport is,” she added. PTI AH AH DDV
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