"Happy but not going back with what I wanted": Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya highlights hard work needed for Paris 2024

Ravi Dahiya looked like the chillest man on the planet as he walked towards Mat B at the Makuhari Messe Hall to face Zavur Uguev for his 57kg freestyle gold medal match at the Olympics 2021.

Yesterday, the 24-year-old showed his nerves of steel when he came back from a 9-2 deficit to win his semifinal bout against Nurislam Sanayev. Dahiya likes to keep things simple and faces every challenge with a focused mindset. He always gives it his all.

Dahiya took the same unfazed approach to today's final as well. He was fighting to secure India its first wrestling gold medal. Sadly, he couldn't. ROC's Zavur Uguev was better on the day and defeated the Indian 7-4 to claim the top prize.

Many Congratulations to Ravi Dahiya for bagging the silver medal at #Tokyo2020Showed great mental resilience in your debut Games. Huge potential for Gold in Paris 2024! Much admiration and the very best of luck for your journey ahead.

— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 5, 2021

Ravi wanted to better his idol, Sushil Kumar, who won silver in London 2012. He is not a man of many words, but the disappointment was evident from his body language when he spoke to the media following the medal ceremony.

"I’ve been preparing to win a gold medal here for the last two years. I could only win a silver, maybe that’s what I deserve. I need to work harder in the future to win gold. I’m happy but I’m returning without the thing that I wanted.”

When asked about Zavur Uguev, his final opponent, Dahiya said:

“He is a terrific wrestler. He’s a multiple time world champion. The bout went well but I missed something that cost me the bout. I will try to improve in the future.”

The wrestler was his usual calm and composed self on the mat. He shared that he did not feel any pressure before the bout.

“No pressure at all. I trained that way. We had set a target to win at all costs, no matter what challenge is thrown in front of me.”

Speaking about his preparations for the Tokyo Olympics and the challenges of fighting at the Games, Dahiya said:

“It was difficult to train but the World Championships are tougher to compete in. There you have 4-5 bouts in a single day. I only had three here yesterday. I continued training during the pandemic. I didn’t go home. I was at the stadium only.”

Ravi Dahiya - Born to wrestle

Dahiya comes from a village that has a rich history of wrestling. He saw the likes of Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt win medals at a very young age, which inspired him to train harder and even dream of winning at the Olympics. Speaking about his journey from Nahri, Haryana to Tokyo, Dahiya said:

“My village is crazy about wrestling. In 2012, Amit Dahiya from my village represented India at the Olympics. So, I started wrestling at a very young age. I trained under Hansraj ji and he took me to Chhatrasal [Stadium in Delhi]. I was very young when Sushil got his first medal. So, it made an impact on me. I realized how hard you have to work to succeed at the highest level.”

Ravi Dahiya thanked his coaches who have been a part of his journey. He said:

“My guruji Satpal ji has done phenomenally. All medal winners today have trained under him at one point. Me, Bajrang [Punia], Deepak [Punia]. Even Sushil [Kumar] and Amit Dahiya. His contribution has been immense. Hansraj ji gave me the start. My father took me to him. He saw that I have potential and took me to Chhatrasal stadium.”

When asked who he would dedicate the medal to, Dahiya replied:

“I would dedicate this medal to the frontline workers who’ve been working tirelessly. They have served everyone during a pandemic.”

It might take him a while before the magnitude of his achievement sinks in, but for now, Dahiya is not bothered that he might be the newest star in Indian sports. All he cares about is working even harder to win an Olympic gold. Before today, he wanted that prize in Tokyo. Now, he wants it in Paris.