Wrestler Ravi Dahiya eyes comeback, set to stick to 57kg category

Delhi: A beautiful moment prevailed at the legendary Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday when Paris Olympics bronze medal-winning wrestler Aman Sehrawat returned to the wrestling facility.

Upon his arrival in Delhi, the 57kg wrestler was felicitated by ace wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who won the silver medal in the same category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"It is great, to be honest. We have won two back-to-back medals in the same category. This shows the depth we have in wrestling in our country," Ravi told The Bridge on the sidelines of the felicitation ceremony.

When Aman was jittery about his debut at the Olympics, Ravi advised him to concentrate on the Games and take things easy.

"As my younger brother, he came to me before the Olympics. He was asking about the pressure of the occasion and how to deal with it as it was his first Olympics," said Ravi.

"I gave a simple advice and it was to focus on his style of wrestling. We can't control what the other wrestlers do and hence we have to focus on our style and how we can do better," he explained.

Both Aman and Ravi train at the Chhatrasal Stadium, the home of India's top wrestlers, including Olympic medalists such as Bajrang Punia, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Sushil Kumar.

"Yes, this stadium has a great legacy for wrestling. Along with Aman, we have many young wrestlers who practice here and I am sure the legacy will only grow stronger from now on," said Ravi.

'I will be back soon': Ravi Dahiya

Ravi Dahiya suffered a knee injury during the Tokyo Olympics, which he carried into the final rounds of the competition. His journey post-Olympics has been about balancing recovery while trying to stay competitive on the international stage.

While he won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, it hasn't been a great ride for him after that.

The wrestler failed to impress at the 2022 World Championships and was knocked out in the pre-quarterfinals. After that, an injury hampered his return to the mat.

When he returned to the mat during the Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers trials, he looked off-colour and was defeated on both occasions.

Talking about his comeback, Ravi said, "I will be back soon. My surgery was done and I am on my way to recovery. You will see me on the mat very soon."

With Aman occupying the top spot in the 57kg category, it will be interesting to see if Ravi returns to the 57kg category or bulks up to move to the 65kg category.

"I will continue to wrestle in the 57kg category at the moment and if needed, I might move to a heavy category like 65kg but for now I am focussed on my return," concluded Ravi.