India, Oct. 29 -- Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala has booked her place in the women's 59kg final at the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 in Astana, Kazakhstan, putting herself within touching distance of a world title. She produced a commanding display in the semi-finals, pinning Kazakhstan's Altyn Shagayeva to seal a 10-0 victory. Shagayeva, a U23 World medalist, had the backing of the home crowd, but Bhanwala's dominant performance ensured the Indian wrestler advanced to the gold medal bout. Her win also guarantees India at least a silver medal in the category, making her the third Indian female wrestler to reach a final at this edition of the championships.

Bhanwala will now turn her attention to the title clash against Abig...