New delhi, Oct. 31 -- Barely had the referee's whistle signalled the start of the women's 59kg final in Astana when Abigail Elizabeth Nette of the US seized Manisha Bhanwala's left leg in a swift attack. The move was so quick, the grip so tight, that despite her best efforts, Manisha could not wriggle free of her opponent's clutches. Manisha turned, twisted and hopped on one leg in defence for nearly 30 seconds, but Abigail refused to let go, eventually throwing her down for four points at the edge of the mat. India challenged the call but lost. Manisha was down 0-5. It was soon 0-6, and Manisha was staring at defeat. A push-out towards the end of the first period earned her a point and a measure of confidence. In the second period, Manisha produced a comeback for the ages, going on the offensive and pulling off a sensational 8-6 victory to become India's first woman world wrestling champion. She jumped for joy, as did India's coach Virender Dahiya. Together, they celebrated on the mat with the Tricolour. Never before had an Indian woman wrestler scaled this summit. Although the 59kg category is a non-Olympic weight class, the achievement is significant. Before this edition, Anshu Malik was the only Indian woman to have reached a World Championships final, winning silver in the 57kg category in 2021. Vinesh Phogat, one of India's most accomplished wrestlers, has won two bronze medals at the World Championships. Antim Panghal has also claimed two bronze medals in Olympic weight categories, but a world title had eluded her. In men's freestyle wrestling, two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar remains India's only world champion. In Astana, the Indian women's team, coming off a disappointing Asian Games campaign with just one medal to show, has displayed tremendous grit. A world title seemed within reach when Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) reached the finals in Olympic weight categories. Both lost their title bouts and settled for silver. A third opportunity came when the experienced Manisha cruised past her opponents to reach the 59kg final. "We watched Abigail's bouts yesterday, and the plan was to attack in the second period when she generally tires. She used a lot of her energy in the first period," India coach Virender Dahiya told HT from Astana. "At the break, when Manisha was trailing 1-6, I told her to stay focused and execute the game plan. I told her she could win the final." Indeed, Abigail was gasping for breath in the closing stages, while Manisha appeared to grow stronger. "I can't feel anything right now," Manisha told UWW. "I've been waiting for a long time for this moment. Since 2022, I've been writing that I would be world champion. It was my dream to become the first Indian woman to win a world title. Today, that dream has come true. It was Manisha's father, Suresh, who took her to an akhada in Siwaha village in Jind, Haryana, in 2013. That marked the beginning of a long journey....