| Ravi Kumar Dahiya Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 7 in |
| Weight | 57 kg |
| Date of Birth | December 12, 1997 |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Ravi Kumar Dahiya is an Indian freestyle wrestler who won the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2020 New Delhi Asian Wrestling Championships in the 57 kg weight class, the 2021 Almaty Asian Wrestling Championships (57 kg), the 2022 Ulaanbaatar Asian Wrestling Championships (57 kg), the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games (57 kg), and the 2022 Istanbul Yasar Dogu Tournament (61 kg). He clinched the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (held in July and August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) (57 kg), the 2018 Bucharest World Under-23 Wrestling Championships (57 kg), and the 2015 Salvador World Junior Wrestling Championships (55 kg). He secured the ‘Bronze’ medal at the 2019 Nur-Sultan World Wrestling Championships (57 kg). For his services to wrestling, the Government of India honored him with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (the highest sporting honor in India) in 2021.
Born Name
Ravi Kumar Dahiya
Nick Name
Mohni
Sun Sign
Sagittarius
Born Place
Nahri, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Residence
Nahri, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Nationality
Occupation
Freestyle Wrestler
Family
- Father – Rakesh Dahiya (Farmer, Former Wrestler)
- Mother – Urmila Devi Dahiya
- Siblings – Pankaj Dahiya (Brother)
- Others – Anil Dahiya (Uncle) (Member of the local Police Force, Former Wrestler), Rajkamal Dahiya (Uncle) (Member of the Indian Army, Former Wrestler)
Manager
He has been represented by Birbal Sports and Entertainment, Athlete Management and Consultancy Firm, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 7 in or 170 cm
Weight
57 kg or 125.5 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Side-parted, wavy hair
- Sports a thick beard
- Affable smile
Religion
Hinduism
Ravi Kumar Dahiya Facts
- Ravi, a child prodigy, was sent to train at the Chhatrasal Stadium (arguably the finest wrestling school in India and one of the best in the world) in North Delhi when he turned 10 years old.
- There, he was trained by renowned wrestling coach and former wrestler Satpal Singh (Padma Bhushan Awardee, Dronacharya Awardee, 16-time Former National Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, and ‘Gold’ medalist at the 1982 Asian Games).
- His father used to travel to the venue, about 40 km away from their village in the neighboring state of Haryana, every day, for more than a decade, to deliver fresh milk and fruits which were part of Ravi’s wrestling diet.
- He suffered a serious injury in 2017 which forced him out of wrestling action for more than a year. Upon his return, he clinched the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2018 Bucharest World Under-23 Wrestling Championships in the 57 kg weight class, India’s only medal at the competition.
- At the 4th edition (2019) of the Pro Wrestling League, an Indian wrestling promotion that was first established in 2015, he went unbeaten to help the Haryana Hammers win their 1st title.
- At the 2019 Nur-Sultan World Wrestling Championships, his debut appearance in the competition, he overcame European champion Arsen Harutyunyan in the ‘Round of 16’. He then upset the 2017 world champion, Yuki Takahashi, in the quarterfinal stage. This earned him one of the 6 available quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
- Ravi eventually won the ‘Bronze’ medal at the competition after losing to defending champion and eventual ‘Gold’ medalist Zaur Uguev in the semifinal stage. This performance led to him (in October 2019) being included in the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the Government of India.
- In the semi-final of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, he was trailing Kazakh wrestler Nurislam Sanayev on points but somehow managed to pin him down in the final minute of the bout to win by fall. There were even reports that Nurislam had bitten him during the bout.
- In the final, he was defeated 4–7 on points by his nemesis, Russian wrestler Zaur Uguev. The feat made Ravi just the second Indian wrestler to win a ‘Silver’ medal at the Summer Olympics after his idol Sushil Kumar had done so in 2012 (London) in the 66 kg category.
Featured Image by Ravi Kumar Dahiya / Instagram
