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Ravi Kumar Dahiya is one of the emerging talents who will represent India at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He is a freestyle wrestler and will compete in the 57kg men's category.
Coming from Delhi's famous Chhatrasal Stadium, which has produced the likes of Olympic medalists Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, many will root for the 23-year-old to win a medal.
Biography
Hailing from Sonipat district in Haryana, it was natural for Vijay Kumar Dahiya to take up wrestling at an early age. He started training at the age of 10 under the watchful eyes of legendary Satpal Singh.
But the prevailing financial crisis came as a hurdle in Dahiya's wrestling career. Working in a rented paddy field, his father, Rakesh Kumar Dahiya, struggled to meet ends. But he didn't let his son give up on his ambition.
Senior Dahiya would travel daily from his village to the Chhatrasal Stadium to deliver milk and fruit to Vijay Kumar Dahiya.
The hard work paid off as Vijay secured a place in the Tokyo Olympics, winning a bronze medal at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in the freestyle 57kg category.
How old is Ravi Kumar Dahiya?
Born in 1997 at the hub of wrestlers, Haryana, Ravi Kumar is currently 23 years old.
Having trained with some of the big names since his childhood, Ravi Kumar Dahiya is an experienced customer. He has already left a long-lasting impression on the wrestling circuit and an Olympic medal will be the icing on the cake.
What are Ravi Kumar Dahiya's achievement?
The wrestling world saw a glimpse of the talented wrestler for the first time at the 2015 Junior World Championships, where he won a silver medal. As soon as the stocks started to rise, Ravi Kumar Dahiya met with an injury in 2017 which kept him out of action for a couple of months.
But he bounced back strongly. 2018 was a landmark year in his career when he won the U-23 World Championship in Bucharest, Romania. He also finished second in the senior nationals. Ravi Kumar also participated in the Senior Asian Championship in the same year and finished fifth.
However, the biggest moment in his short career came in 2019 when he won the bronze medal at the World Championship. He defeated Iran's Reza Atrinagharchi to grab a place on the podium.
He bagged gold at the 2020 Asian Wrestling Championship that took place in New Delhi, India.
The Wrestling Federation of India recently nominated Ravi Kumar Dahiya for the Arjuna award.
Earnings
Ravi Kumar Dahiya earns INR 50,000 monthly as part of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' flagship program, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
He was included in the scheme on the back of his medal finish at the 2019 World Championship.
Performance in Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be Ravi Kumar Dahiya's first stint on the biggest stage. The young wrestler will be keen to make his Olympic debut memorable, winning a medal for India.
