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Ravi Kumar Dahiya has been a surprise package in Indian wrestling for quite some time now, the 23-year-old won the bronze medal in the 2019 World Championship to secure his berth at the Tokyo Olympics. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about the wrestler.
#1 Where was Ravi Kumar Dahiya born?
Dahiya hails from the famous wrestling state of Haryana and was born in a small village called Nahri in the Sonipat district. He has been training with Indian wrestling legend Satpal Singh at the Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi since the age of 10. His father was a farmer and his persistent efforts to make him a wrestler helped Ravi Kumar excel in the sport.
#2 Which category does Ravi Kumar Dahiya compete in?
Dahiya started his career in the 55 kg category and represented India at the 2015 world championship, where he claimed silver. He has since then competed in the 57 kg category and has achieved immense success winning medals throughout his career.
Dahiya is one of 3 male wrestlers who will represent India in Tokyo and is regarded as a top medal prospect for the Tokyo Olympics 2021 due to his recent run of form.
#3 Where is Ravi Kumar Dahiya ranked in the 57 kg category?
Ravi Kumar Dahiya is currently ranked 4th in the 57 kg category and has been impressive over the past couple of years. He won silver in the Poland Open and is in great momentum coming into the Olympics. The grappler is a two-time gold winner in the Asian Championship.
#4 Ravi Kumar Dahiya has been nominated for the Arjuna Award
His impressive performances over the past couple of years have helped him get nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award by the Wrestling Federation of India [WFI]. He, along with 4 other wrestlers, were included in the list and this news came as a huge boost to these grapplers ahead of the much-awaited Tokyo Olympics 2021.
Arjuna Award 2021: Ravi Dahiya, Anshu Malik amongst 4 wrestlers nominated by WFI (sportskeeda.com)
# 5 Where is Ravi Kumar Dahiya currently training?
Ravi Kumar was stuck in Warsaw for a long time after the Poland Open. Along with him, wrestler Deepak Punia was supposed to leave for Russia in the second week of June to train there along with fellow grappler Bajrang Punia, but due to the prevailing travel restrictions, they had to stay back in Poland for a longer time.
After weeks of attempts, the duo finally got a visa clearance and are now all set to train with Bajrang Punia in Vladkivkaz, Russia to prepare for the Olympics.
Poland Open Wrestling Ranking Series: Ravi Dahiya wins silver medal in Warsaw (sportskeeda.com)
While talking to Sportskeeda, Dahiya said, "In India, we have a different style of training compared to countries like Russia and Hungary. These countries have good in-ground wrestling and leg defense and attacks, it will help me a lot in my Tokyo Olympics preparations."
Also read: Poland Open Wrestling Ranking Series: Ravi Dahiya wins silver medal in Warsaw
