"Manisha will win a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. Write this down.

I am saying it today," said a chirpy Virender Dahiya a day after the 29-year-old's gold medal win at the World Wrestling Championships.The optimism of the coach, speaking from Astana, Kazakhstan, was not unfounded. A night before, Manisha had created history, becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the World Championships.Competing in the 59kg category, Manisha went 1-6 down in the final moments of the summit clash against USA's Abigail Nette.

She kept her nerves, turned the competition on its head and secured an 8-6 win in a nervy final on Friday.The win brought a lot of peace to Manisha, who has had to battle multiple setbacks on personal and professional fronts. She lost her father in 2022 and contemplated quitting wrestling.

Having battled depression, she returned to the mat on the advice of her family, who wanted her to fulfil the dream her father had for her. Going into the Asian Games as one of India's medal favourites, Manisha lost to Japan's Akari Fujinami in the quarter-finals.

The defeat left her confidence shattered. Heartbroken in Nagoya, the only words of comfort she could find were her coach's: "Don't worry, something big awaits you."On Friday evening, that happened.

A perfectly executed plan in the final handed her one of India's rare pieces of history. For the non-regular wrestling fan, it was also an assurance that India's legacy was in good hands.After the win, Manisha spoke a few silent words to her father."After I won, from inside there was a voice saying that we have to walk far, we have to do much," Manisha said during a virtual media interaction organised by the Wrestling Federation of India on Saturday.FATHER'S INFLUENCEThe words offered a glimpse into what the victory meant to her.

Her father, Suresh, was the person who introduced her to wrestling and encouraged her to pursue the sport. His death in 2022 left her struggling to find a reason to continue.

For a while, walking away from wrestling seemed like a possibility.But the family wanted her to carry on. Her father's advice stayed with her, particularly his insistence that anything she took up had to be seen through to the end."My father taught me that either you do not get involved in any work, or you finish it completely.

That is in my blood," she said. "Wrestling is the first and last option for me. It has given me life, a name and the ability to live."His contribution to her career is something Manisha finds difficult to put into words.

Even now, she continues to speak to him, as though he is still around to hear about her days on the mat."I cannot tell you how much my father contributed to my career. I keep talking to him as if he is living inside me.

He is a part of my life; he is in my heart," she said.That connection was also present in Astana. Manisha wore a special T-shirt in her father's memory before the final.

After winning the gold, she took a moment for herself, with the person who had first put her on this path very much in her thoughts. Manisha carried a special t-shirt with her.

The road to the title had not been straightforward. Manisha had competed at four World Championships since making her debut in 2023, but had never finished on the podium.

At 29, she was also older than several of the wrestlers emerging on the international circuit. But she does not see age as a barrier."It all depends on the mind.

There is no difference between young and old. What matters is dedication," she said.FOCUS SHIFTS TO LOS ANGELESManisha's gold came in the 59kg category, but the Olympic programme does not have that division.

The corresponding Olympic category is 57kg, and she will have to return to that weight as she works towards Los Angeles.The decision to compete at 59kg at the World Championships was taken with the Asian Games in mind. The camp expected Manisha to win a medal in Nagoya, and felt that the celebrations and functions that would follow could leave her with little time to cut weight for the World Championships.

The plan was to avoid a rushed weight cut by moving up to 59kg. Manisha, however, missed out on an Asian Games medal and could not change her category at the last moment.She does not see the return to 57kg as a problem.

Manisha said she has always been able to meet the weight requirement and does not need to make a sharp cut towards the end of a campaign.For her coach, the world title has now given the pair a clearer target. The immediate focus will be on returning to the 57kg category and building towards the qualification cycle for Los Angeles."Yesterday, we sat down after the final and spoke between each other that this medal win now brings responsibility.

We can finally see a path to the LA Olympics now. We have a responsibility now to win a medal there," Dahiya said.Manisha has already made her intention clear. "In 2028, you and I will meet in Los Angeles, with a medal," she said.The world title has given her a place in Indian wrestling history.

Los Angeles is the next target, and the dream is one she has carried for years. Her father might not be there to see it in person, but his words continue to guide her as she works towards making it happen.- Ends