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Ravi Dahiya will be the second Olympian wrestler after Amit Dahiya (2012 London Games) from a small village in Sonepat district, Haryana. But he might become the first Olympic medalist from his village in the next three weeks. Ravi’s father Rakesh Dahiya says everyone in the village is excited and waiting for the medal to come home.
“The passion for wrestling is very high among the children of Nahri village. We are all very proud of Ravi and are now just waiting for him to come home with a medal,” he said proudly.
A product of the famous Chhatrasal stadium, Ravi will be carrying a big legacy on his shoulders. Chhatrasal has produced India’s two men’s Olympic medalists Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt. Bajrang Punia, who will compete in the 65 kg division, was also part of the New Delhi-based 'akhada' (Wrestling Academy).
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Ravi Dahiya, who has been seeded fourth in the 57kg, will be one of the medal contenders at the Tokyo Olympics.
However, his recent form might be a concern. The lack of international camps and competition hampered Ravi’s confidence and form.
READ: Ravi Kumar Dahiya: 5 things you didn't know about the Indian wrestler
At the Poland Open Ranking Series in June, his struggle with leg defense was exposed by his opponents.
Ravi Dahiya analyzed his performance and said it was an average performance and he needs to raise the bar before the Tokyo Olympics.
“My body did not move smoothly and the reaction timing was also slow. I need to go a long way before I hit the peak for the Tokyo Olympics,” he said after settling for a silver medal at the Poland Ranking Series.
Who will be Ravi Dahiya’s challengers at Tokyo Olympics
Ravi Dahiya has been training in Vladikavkaz for the last two weeks. He will be banking strongly on his ability to launch relentless attacks during the Olympics. But he will also need to vary from not giving away early-points against strong opponents.
READ: Ravi Dahiya, Anshu Malik amongst 4 wrestlers nominated by WFI for Arjuna Award
His major threats will be world champion Zaur Uguev (RUS), 2019 World silver medalist Atli Suleyman (TUR), twin world medalist Yuki Takahashi (JPN) and 2019 World bronze medalist Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ).
The good thing is Ravi Dahiya has competed with most of his challengers in the past.
READ: Who is Ravi Kumar Dahiya? Age, Records, Biography, Medals, Earnings, Olympics performance
the Haryana wrestler lost 6-4 in a thrilling encounter against Uguev in the 2019 World Championship semifinals. Sanayev and Ravi Dahiya, on the other hand, have met twice in the past. The latter has won both.
Ravi Dahiya also boasts a 2-1 win-loss record against Takahashi.
If Ravi Dahiya can tap into his 2020 form, he will be a force to reckon with and is likely to win an Olympic medal.
“He is a moving force on the mat. His growth after the world championship (2019) has been incredible. The movement and agility on the mat, it is just something else,” Andrew Cook, former Indian women’s wrestling coach said after Ravi Dahiya won Asian meet gold.
