‘Wrestling is all about holding nerves & fighting to the finish’

Wrestler Ravi Dahiya

, who missed an Olympic gold by a whisker in the 57kg freestyle semi-final bout against Zavur Uguev of ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) on Thursday, says though he is happy that he has won a silver for the country, he is certainly not satisfied as he had come to Tokyo to win gold. Dahiya has registered his name as India’s one of the most successful Olympians. Talking to Fazal Khan, Dahiya spoke about his journey as a sportsman and his experience in the Tokyo Olympics. Excerpts:

First of all, congratulations for winning the medal and bringing honour to the country...

Thank you. All the bouts went off well.

How do you describe your journey from a remote village (Nahari in Sonepat district) of Haryana to the Tokyo Olympics?

I started off with village wrestling. Later, I moved to Delhi where I started training under my coach Mahabali Satpal at Chhatrasal stadium. The exposure changed my life.

Your performance in the semi-final was exceptional when you pinned down your rival (Nurislam Sanayev of Kazakhstan) after an initial setback. How did you manage to do that?

Wrestling is all about holding your nerves and fighting to the finish. I tried to give my best and did not give up till the last second of the game. Finally, I got success.

How do you see your performance in the final?

I had come to Tokyo to win a gold for the country but unfortunately that didn’t happen. He (Zavur Uguev) performed better and deserved to win. I am happy that I reached the finals and gave my best shot. I will continue to improve my performance.

How often do you get to visit your village? What are the things you crave for?

I rarely get a chance to visit my village. I miss the food prepared by my mother. Whenever I get time, I share the experience of my tours with my mother.

You have visited Gonda in UP in the past. Tell us something about your experience.

I used to visit Gonda in connection with wrestling events. Earlier, tournaments were held on a small scale. Now, a centre (Khelo India centre monitored by SAI, Lucknow) has been set up and players are getting good facilities. It will go a long way in producing talented players.

Any message for sports authorities and budding players?

There is no dearth of talent in our country. If our players get good facilities and encouragement, more youngsters will get opportunities to win medals for the country.


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