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Another medal for India at Tokyo Olympics: This time, it's Silver from Ravi Kumar as he scripts history!

By alagu, 05 August, 2021
Tokyo Olympics 2021, Olympics, India

India has won another medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday as wrester Ravi Kumar Dahiya has won a Silver medal after losing the finals to Russia's Zavur Uguev. Though bracing up the defeat, Ravi Kumar has scripted a new history and India has won the second Silver medal in the ongoing Olympics tournament, taking the country's medal tally to five including two Silver and three Bronze medals. 

It was a historic start and end of the day for India as India has won the medal in men's hockey for the first time after 41 years after the Indian team had defeated Germany in the Bronze medal match that was held on Thursday morning. Hours after the historical feat, Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya had on Thursday evening won the Silver medal in the 57kg freestyle wresting final after losing the Gold to Russian two-time defending world champion Zavur Uguev. 

The ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) wrestler Uguev had registered a 7-4 win against Dahiya. Ravi Kumar Dahiya was trailing 0-2 in the first round before he bounced back to level the score but the round ended with Uguev leading 4-2. The Russian wrestler had then raced to a 7-2 lead before Dahiya fought back with 2 more points but couldn't overturn the 3-point deficit in the end and lost the bout, but he fought till the end. 

When 23-year-old Dahiya entered the finals by bringing cheers back in the country, there were expectations that he would become India's youngest Olympic champion. However, Uguev had spoiled Dahiya's prospect, pushing the latter to settle for the Silver medal. By bagging the silver medal, Dahiya had created history by becoming the second Indian wrestler to have made the final at the Olympics after Sushil Kumar.

Sushil Kumar had won the Silver medal at the 2012 London Games and he also won the Bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. Dahiya has advanced to the finals after defeating Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev in the semifinals on Wednesday and assured a medal. On Thursday, he had presented India with the second Silver medal in the Tokyo Games and shared the medal podium. 

Ravi Kumar is the fifth Indian wrestler after KD Jadhav, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Sakshi Malik to finish on the Olympic podium. KD Jadhav had won a bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Games while Sakshi Malik had become the first woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal when she clinched a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It must be noted that Dahiya had also lost to Uguev at the 2019 World Championship. 

While Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting) and Dahiya had won the Silver medals at the Tokyo Games, PV Sindhu (Badminton), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), and the Indian men's hockey team had won Bronze medals. With five medals, India currently stands at the 65th spot on the Olympic medals tally. Ravi Kumar Lahiya has been flooded with commendations and compliments from across and beyond the borders for his glorious history. 

President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter and wrote, "India is proud of Ravi Dahiya for winning the wrestling Silver at #Tokyo2020. You came back into bouts from very difficult situations and won them. Like a true champion, you demonstrated your inner strength too. Congratulations for the exemplary wins & bringing glory to India." Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and wrote, "Ravi Kumar Dahiya is a remarkable wrestler! His fighting spirit and tenacity are outstanding. Congratulations to him for winning the Silver Medal at #Tokyo2020. India takes great pride in his accomplishments."

 

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