Manisha, Tanu Lift India's Medal Tally at Astana Worlds

India's wrestling campaign at the Senior World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, delivered mixed results on Thursday, with Manisha Bhanwala and Tanu Sharma securing medals while several other contenders exited.

Manisha Bhanwala moved into the 59 kg final after defeating Mongolia's Bolortuya Khurelkhu in the semifinal. Her win ensured India a silver medal at the event. She will meet America's Abigail Elizabeth Nethe for gold on Friday.

Earlier in the tournament, Manisha beat Canada's Lawrence Burgard 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinal round to begin her campaign strongly.

Tanu Sharma claimed a silver medal in the 72 kg category. In a tough third-place playoff, she overcame America's Precious Rosanna Bell 9-5 to secure a podium place.

Not every Indian had a successful day. Ahilya Shinde's campaign in the 55 kg category ended at the quarterfinal stage. After a dominant 8-1 victory over Cuba's Yanelis Sanz Verdecia in the round of 16, she lost 9-6 to Turkey's Tuba Demir.

In men's freestyle, Vicky Hooda's medal hopes in the 97 kg category remained alive despite a 12-2 technical superiority defeat to Japan's Arash Yoshida in the quarterfinals. Since Yoshida advanced to the final, Vicky was entered into the repechage. Sujeet Kalkal's run in the 65 kg category, however, came to a close.

The day followed a strong Wednesday for Indian women wrestlers. Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi each earned silver medals after reaching their respective finals. Kajal, 18, lost 8-6 to Ukraine's Anastasiia Alpieieva in the 76 kg final, while Neelam, 26, lost to Japan's Yui Susaki in the 50 kg final after trailing 5-0.

The two Indian women's appearances in the finals of the same edition were a first. Their results build on Anshu Malik's 2021 milestone, when she became the first Indian woman to reach a World Championship final.