Doctors prescribe melatonin to help people sleep. Manisha Bhanwala has a different remedy. “I can’t sleep if I don’t wrestle,” Manisha told The Indian Express from Kazakhstan.The 29-year-old, who won the 59kg title at the World Championships, made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a wrestling world title. Her triumph also ended India’s 16-year wait for a world champion, since Sushil Kumar’s gold in 2010.Beyond her wrestling skills, mental toughness and experience, it is Manisha’s obsession with the sport that has brought her one of the biggest honours in wrestling. “I become restless if I don’t wrestle. Especially after competing at the top level for more than four years, I am becoming more obsessed with the sport. The mat feels like home,” she said.Manisha took up the sport relatively late, at the age of 16. A late bloomer in every sense, she did not win a medal at the junior level. But her willingness to keep grinding has brought her continental success and, now, a world title. “She is obsessed with the sport. Even when she comes home, she would ask me to spar with her,” said her brother Rinku, who plays kabaddi. “I am her only brother and when I was getting married, she came only for a couple of days because there was a national camp going on,” he added.ALSO READ | Manisha’s gold caps off best-ever display by Indian woman wrestlers at WorldsNational coach Virender Dahiya, who has been working with Manisha at national camps since 2022, initially thought her obsession with wrestling was unusual. “I saw her at the national camp in 2022 and, at first, I thought this girl was mad. In the 45-46 degree summer heat of Lucknow, she would practise for hours,” he said at a press conference organised by the Wrestling Federation of India. “Unlike others, this girl doesn’t have any other hobbies in life. Her only hobby is wrestling, and the result is in front of you.”That obsession is evident in her bouts. Usually reserved off the mat, Manisha transforms into a powerhouse once competition begins.“She has always been an aggressive wrestler. Earlier, that aggression used to affect her stamina, but eventually we worked on that. Now, Manisha can hold on until the last moment and outlast most of her opponents on the mat,” explained her coach, Mandeep.Story continues below this adWrestling is fought as much in the mind as it is on the mat. In her four years at the senior level, Manisha has competed in four different weight categories, winning international tournaments in each of them.According to Dahiya, it is her mindset that makes her so adaptable. “She is always ready to put in the work. Until last year, she was competing in the 62 kg and 65 kg categories, but now she has won two Ranking Series tournaments at 57 kg and a world title at 59 kg. That tells you how strong she is mentally when it comes to adapting to changes,” he said.ALSO READ | A 13-year-old goal & a t-shirt: Manisha realises departed father’s dreamChanges in weight categories also bring different opponents, and adapting to new challenges is not always easy. Manisha experienced that at the Asian Games, where she faced Japanese legend Akari Fujinami and lost 0-3. “It was not my day against Fujinami at the Asian Games. But the next two years will be fun in the 57 kg category. I am going to improve further after this Worlds medal,” said Manisha, who will move down to 57 kg for upcoming tournaments where Olympic qualification spots will be at stake.Story continues below this ad The 29-year-old defeated Abigail Nette of the United States 8-6 in the 59 kg final to become only the second Indian wrestler after Sushil Kumar to become world champion. (UWW)Her experience and composure were also crucial in the World Championships final. At one stage, Manisha was trailing 0-6 against American Abigail Nette before staging a comeback to win 8-6. “The night before, we watched all the bouts of the American wrestler. We observed that she gets tired by the fifth minute. I told Manisha to wait for that moment, and that is exactly what she did. She scored in the last minute when the American was tired and had no chance to come back,” Dahiya said.Sushil Kumar’s medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics inspired a generation of Indian wrestlers. India has won at least one wrestling medal at every Olympics since then. Manisha hopes her world title can have a similar impact on the next generation of women wrestlers. “Records are meant to be broken. I want other girls to break my record and win more gold medals for India. I really want that. At the LA Olympics, we will create history again,” she said.Dahiya describes Manisha as a wrestler who attacks like a lioness. Having conquered the world, she now has her sights set on the Olympic podium — a place that has eluded Indian women wrestlers at the last two editions of the Games.