SportsPosted at: Nov 2 2026 5:10PM


Manisha credits PWL experience for building mental toughness behind historic gold

New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) For Manisha Bhanwala, the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) has been more than just a platform to compete against top wrestlers.
The experience of handling intense contests in quick succession, sharing training space with international stars and learning to recover from setbacks helped shape the mental strength that eventually took her to the top of the podium at the Senior World Wrestling Championships.
The 29-year-old made history in Astana last month by becoming the first Indian woman to win gold at the Senior World Wrestling Championships, claiming the women's 59kg title. Her achievement came shortly after a disappointing Asian Games campaign, but Manisha believes the challenges she faced in the PWL helped her respond positively when it mattered most.
The league's fast-paced format, she said, taught her to deal with pressure, manage her emotions and switch focus quickly between demanding bouts.
"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.
That ability to move on from disappointment was particularly important after the Asian Games, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Japan's Akari. With little time between the continental event and the World Championships, Manisha chose to get back to work rather than dwell on the defeat.
"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.
The exposure to international wrestlers in the PWL was another factor that helped her grow. Training and interacting with accomplished opponents gave her a better understanding of their techniques and helped her approach international contests with greater confidence.
"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.
Manisha, who has previously represented the Maharashtra Kesari franchise, is now looking forward to returning to the league for its sixth season in Delhi. With the Olympic qualification cycle beginning next year, she considers the competition an ideal opportunity to improve her match readiness and test her attacking approach against quality opposition.
"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.
She also sees the PWL as an effective vehicle for taking wrestling beyond its traditional audience, with television coverage offering viewers a closer look at the sport's speed, skill and tactical demands.
"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.
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