Ravi Kumar Dahiya at Olympics 2021: Strengths and weaknesses of India's wrestling medal hope

Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Credits: Ravi Kumar Dahiya Instagram)
Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Credits: Ravi Kumar Dahiya Instagram)

World Championship bronze medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya will represent India in the men's 57kg freestyle wrestling event at Olympics 2021. The 23-year-old will begin his Tokyo campaign against Óscar Tigreros of Colombia in Round 1.

Ravi Kumar Dahiya is a two-time Asian Champion, having won gold medals in 2020 and 2021. The wrestler has impressed at the junior level too. He won a silver medal at the 2018 World U23 Championships. At the 2015 World Junior Wrestling Championships, Dahiya reached the final and claimed a silver medal.

He will start his campaign riding high on expectations.

Before Ravi Kumar Dahiya gets on the wrestling mat at Tokyo's Makuhari Messe arena, here are his strengths and weaknesses.

Ravi Kumar Dahiya's strengths

Ravi Kumar Dahiya has a good reach. The wrestler stands at 5 feet 7 inches. His height helps him lodge effective attacks against his opponents.

He is also a swift mover on the wrestling mat, which gives him the edge while evading attacks. The wrestler has also worked on his strength so that he doesn't get tired through the course of two periods of a wrestling match.

Ravi Kumar Dahiya's weaknesses

Ravi Kumar Dahiya has a tactical weakness. He often fails to evade leg attacks. If the opponent manages to reach his legs, chances are high that Dahiya will lose points.

The Indian wrestler also has the bad habit of conceding too many points at a stretch. Due to this, his opponents always stand a chance to make a comeback in the match. A narrow lead can always be equalled or overtaken against him.

However, if Dahiya finds his best form, it will be difficult to stop him. India will hope the wrestler feels good on August 4.

Related: Why Bajrang Punia’s knee injury might bring up the “leg defence” worry at the Olympics?

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