Indian wrestler Tanu Sharma has won a bronze medal at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, capping a remarkable debut at senior level with a 9-5 victory over Precious Rosanna Bell of the United States in the 72kg bronze-medal match.
The 20-year-old from Haryana was competing in her first Senior World Championships, and her medal came on the same day that her compatriot Manisha Bhanwala reached the women’s 59kg final, assuring India of at least a silver medal in that weight class.
Key Takeaways
- Tanu Sharma won 72kg bronze at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, beating Precious Rosanna Bell of the United States 9-5.
- It was Tanu’s debut at the Senior World Championships, and she reached the podium after coming through the repechage round.
- Manisha Bhanwala reached the women’s 59kg final in Astana, assuring India of at least a silver medal in her weight class.
A debut that started with defeat
Tanu’s tournament in Astana did not begin the way she would have wanted. In her opening bout, she faced Wiktoria Choluj of Poland, an experienced wrestler, and lost 12-2. Choluj went on to reach the final, which opened the repechage route for Tanu and gave her a second chance to fight for a medal.
Tanu took that chance. In the repechage, she edged past Zaineb Sghaier of Tunisia, the reigning African champion, by a narrow 5-4 scoreline to set up the bronze-medal match against Bell, the reigning Pan American champion.
Against Bell, Tanu built an early lead and held on to win 9-5. Reports of the bout describe Tanu scoring first with an early stepout, then adding another stepout after a double-leg attack to move 3-0 ahead in the first period, before closing out the match in the second period.
To win a bronze medal on a World Championships debut is no mean feat.
From Bhaklana to the world podium
Tanu comes from Bhaklana village in Hansi district, Haryana. Her father, Virender Sharma, is a Sanskrit teacher, and it was her uncle, Narendra Fauji, who first introduced her to wrestling.
The bronze in Astana caps a strong debut year at senior level for Tanu. Earlier this year, she won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships, and the step up to the senior World Championships is widely regarded as one of the toughest jumps in the sport.
Her path through the tournament also showed the depth of competition in the 72kg class. She lost only to the eventual finalist, then beat a continental champion in the repechage and another continental champion in the bronze-medal match.
Manisha reaches the 59kg final
Manisha Bhanwala’s run to the 59kg final was the other headline result for India on the same day in Astana. She beat Bolortuya Khurelkhuu of Mongolia in the semi-final to reach the gold-medal match.
Manisha was scheduled to face Abigail Elizabeth Nette of the United States for gold on Friday, with at least a silver medal already assured. Her final appearance, alongside Tanu’s bronze, made it a notable day for Indian women’s wrestling at the championships.
- Tanu Sharma: 72kg bronze, beating Precious Rosanna Bell of the United States 9-5
- Tanu’s route: lost 12-2 to Wiktoria Choluj of Poland, beat Zaineb Sghaier of Tunisia 5-4 in repechage
- Manisha Bhanwala: reached the 59kg final after beating Bolortuya Khurelkhuu of Mongolia
- Manisha’s final opponent: Abigail Elizabeth Nette of the United States
A busy week for Indian sport
The wrestling medals add to a busy week for Indian sport. The result in Astana came as India’s cricket team continued its series in New Zealand, giving Indian fans results to follow across very different sports on the same days.
Elsewhere in world sport this week, the Atlanta Dream forced a first-ever WNBA Finals Game 7 against Golden State, while Milwaukee prepared a World Series parade and rally for the Brewers. Tanu’s bronze belongs in that same sporting conversation: a young athlete announcing herself on the biggest stage in her sport.
What to Watch Next
Attention now turns to Manisha Bhanwala’s 59kg final against Abigail Elizabeth Nette of the United States, where she will wrestle for gold after already assuring India of at least silver. For Tanu Sharma, the bronze in Astana closes a debut senior season that began with U20 silver and ends with a senior world medal, and the next question is how she builds on that breakthrough in the season ahead.