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2022-04-23 15:21

Ravi, Bajrang, Gourav to fight for gold at Asian Championship

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Apr 23 (Wrestling News) Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya was his usual dominant self, Bajrang Punia did not have to struggle much while Gourav Baliyan was impressive in his campaign as the three Indians kept themselves in the reckoning for gold medals at the Asian Championship, here on Saturday.

Ravi, who hails from Nahri village in Sonepat, yet again showed his immense physical prowess and tactical superiority when he outsmarted Japan's Rikuto Arai (VSU) and pulled off a comprehensive 12-5 win over Mongolia's Zanabazar Zandanbud in the 57kg men's freestyle event.

The Japanese was quick with his moves and initially troubled Ravi with his double-leg attacks which even took the Indian off his feet but once the Haryana wrestler got the measure of his rival, he dictated the terms in the bout.

Ravi not only found away to block Arai's attack but also got himself into position to find take-down moves from both sides as the Japanese did not have a plan 'B' to counter the in-form Indian.

Ravi kept consolidated his lead and eventually won by technical superiority.

In the semifinal against Zandanbud, Ravi fell behind 0-4 after the home wrestler effected a take-down move and followed that up with a gut-wrench but Ravi again was quick in finding a way to thwart his rival.

In no time, he effected five back-to-back two-pointers to pull ahead and easily reached the final.

On the contrary, Bajrang, who is competing for the first time since winning a bronze at the Tokyo Games, did not have to contend with quality rivals en route the finals.

Neither Abbos Rakhmonov (UZB) nor Haji Mohamad Ali (BRN) was equipped with the game to challenge a wrestler of the calibre of Bajrang, who made only one move across quarterfinal and semifinal bouts.

His rivals were passive and Bajrang got points on their lack of action.

It is not good for Bajrang since he needed to test himself ahead of the Asian Games in the competitive 65kg category.

Meanwhile, Gourav Baliyan moved swiftly on the mat, applied his technique with confidence and yielded results for his good work.

He overpowered Turkmenistan's Gurbanmyrat Ovezberdiyev in super quick time, finishing the quarterfinal in just 28 seconds with five consecutive gut-wrench after getting hold of his opponent.

His semifinal was a tough contest with Kyrgyzstan's Arsalan Budazhapov fighting tooth and nail. In the fast-paced contest, in which counter-attacks from both the wrestlers made it an engrossing bout, Gourav was trailing 4-5 and just 14 seconds to go, he found a match-changing take-down move to make it 6-5 and eventually won 8-5.

Satywart Kadiyan (97kg) and Naveen (70kg) will fight for bronze medals.

India have so far won 10 medals, including two silver, in the continental championship.

Also Read : Hardik's thinking cap is on, it has raised his game, says Gavaskar

News Source : PTI

2022-03-25 09:57

Bajrang manages to prevail against fighting Rohit, secures 65kg spot in team for Asian Championship

New Delhi, Mar 24 (Wrestling News) Taking the mat for the first time since winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia was far from his dominant best as he just about managed to prevail 4-2 against a fighting Rohit to secure his place in the Indian team for the Asian Championships.

The national federation put Bajrang, Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia directly in the finals, a move which did not amuse other competing wrestlers and their coaches.

Eventually all three made the Indian team for the Championships, starting April 19 in Mongolia, with Ravi (57kg) getting a walkover from hard-working Aman, who like Ravi trains at Chhatrasal stadium.

Aman chose not to compete after developing stiff back following four tough bouts and Deepak (86kg) beat Vinod 6-0 in an ill-tempered final, which ended when the latter was given a third caution.

Bajrang, who had planned to compete in a couple of Ranking Series event to start his season but could not do so due to a left-knee issue, was not sharp and perhaps surprised by the aggression of his opponent.

Rohit effected take-down to go up 2-0 and also kept Bajrang static with his body lock. Just before the end of first period Bajrang found a way to fell his rival to log four points.

That two-point lead stayed with Bajrang though towards the end twice Rohit made superb leg attack moves but could not convert those into points. Bajrang used all his defensive skills to not lose any more point.

"This was my first bout after Olympics. It takes time to get that sharpness when you go to mat after so many months. After my injury I did my rehab on my own, I did not have a personal physio with me, otherwise I could have recovered early," Bajrang said.

"Overall I am happy with my performance considering that I competed after eight months. I felt good." The 28-year-old had injured his left knee during the National camp at Sonepat, late in January. He had trained in Iran before returning to country.

Meanwhile, intense competition was witnessed in 74kg category in which Yash Tushir emerged winner to be on the Indian team.

In a sea-saw battle, Yash, the junior world championship bronze medal winner, moved to 8-4 lead before pinning Pritam, the reigning national champion.

In all his bouts, Yash conceded early points but only to make strong comebacks.

His four-point throw against Sajan Jaglan was the move of the day.

Mangal (61kg), Naveen (70kg), Gourav Baliyan (79kg), Satywart Kadiyan (97kg) also booked their spots in the national free style team.

Also Read : Olympic silver medallist Dahiya, Punia and six other wrestlers to attend special camp in Bulgaria

News Source : PTI

2022-01-07 17:03

Olympic medallists Bajrang and Ravi choose to train with Indian coaches till Paris Olympics

New Delhi, Jan 7 (Wrestling News) Not willing to spend a considerable time abroad under a foreign coach, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia has decided to train with an Indian coach in the country to prepare for the 2024 Paris Games.

Not only Bajrang but Ravi Dahiya, the Tokyo Games silver medallist, has also conveyed to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) that he will prefer to train under Indian coaches instead of hiring a personal coach from abroad.

Bajrang had trained with Georgian Shako Bentinidis while Ravi had Russian Kamal Malikov to help him along with a set of Indian coaches at Chhatrasal stadium.

Bajrang has been trying to hire a foreign coach since his association ended with Bentinidis but his search did not bear any fruit.

Even during his ongoing training camp in Russia, he looked for a coach but noone is willing to come to India, according to the 27-year-old.

"These coaches want me to spend at least 80 percent of the season in their country, a condition which is not acceptable to me. I am willing to spend half the time outside but no one is willing to come to India, so I have decided to train with an Indian coach," Bajrang told PTI from Moscow.

Bajrang did not elaborate why the foreign coaches are unwilling to come to India. "I don't understand what their issue is in comig to India?" Asked who he wants to train with, the two-time World medallist said he is yet to finalise a name.

The 27-year-old Bajrang is employed with the Indian Railways and it is expected that he will hire someone from Railways.

Ravi Dahiya recently began his training at his training centre, where his long time friend and sparring partner Arun Kumar is helping him out. Mahabali Satpal, who has played a key role in shaping his career, is keeping an eye on his training schedule in the morning sessions at Chhatrasal stadium.

"All Ravi wants is one more training partner. We will identify one for him in his category during the Ranking Series event in Gonda," said WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar said.

Deepak Punia had a Russian coach Murad Gaidarov to help him till the Tokyo Olympics but he was sacked after his ugly scuffle with one of the Games official after the Indian wrestler lost his bronze play-off.

It is expected that Deepak will also prefer to continue his long-time trainer Virender Kumar, who has built a new training centre at Marmurpur on the outskirts of Delhi.

With the country reeling under the third wave of dreaded COVID-19, WFI is also finding it difficult to hire foreign coaches for the national camps.

Iran's Hossein Karim (men's freestyle) and American Andrew Cook (women coach) were both sacked by WFI before the Games for various reasons.

"No one is willing to come to travel to India because of COVID-19 to take up jobs so we will in probability start the national camps in February with the Indian coaches," said Tomar.

Also Read : Bajrang begins 26-day training camp in Moscow ahead of busy season

News Source : PTI

2021-12-30 12:43

Neeraj Chopra's rise in seven-star Olympic show and fall of Sushil Kumar, 2021 had it all

New Delhi, Dec 30 (Sports News) Neeraj Chopra's javelin flew high and did not come down until it had travelled enough to provide a golden touch to India's best-ever Olympic campaign at the Tokyo Games in a momentous 2021 which also witnessed the fall of the great Sushil Kumar.

The manner in which Chopra bossed the field with his 87.58m throw fulfilled the aspirations of a billion-plus nation that had not seen a track and field Olympic champion in its 74-year old sporting history since Independence.

It sent the country into a state of frenzy and turned Chopra into a phenomenon, and it was quite appropriate, too. After all, it was an accomplishment that fuelled the hopes of a nation that has been starving for success at sport's grandest stage.

It gave the current and future generation of athletes the belief that becoming an Olympic champion was indeed a possibility in this country if the right kind of training, exposure and timely financial support is provided.

The second-most populous region of the world rejoiced only its second individual Olympic gold medal since shooter Abhinav Bindra's spectacular show at the 2008 Beijing Games.

The 24-year-old son of a farmer was not alone in creating a moment of reckoning. India signed off with six more medals, won by athletes who did not have much in common geographically but had common traits of perseverance, grit and a burning passion to excel.

A sheen of silver was provided on the opening day itself by a chuckling Mirabai Chanu.

The Manipuri weightlifter carried on her small yet strong shoulders high hopes after her astounding success at the World Championship, and delivered with a stunning lift of 202kg (87kg+115kg) in the 49kg event in Tokyo.

The performance more than compensated for her Rio Olympics' heartbreak when she could not make a single legal lift.

A bunch of passionate hockey players, largely from humble backgrounds, reignited the love for the national sport with their bronze medal that felt like gold after a 41-year wait to see an Indian hockey team on the Olympic podium.

Skipper Manpreet Singh, a livewire on the field, the ever-smiling P Sreejesh and a fierce Rupinder Pal Singh all of them came together to shrug off the 1-7 bashing at the hands of Australia to trample Spain, defending champions Argentina, Japan and Great Britain en route to the semifinals.

Belgium broke a billion Indians' hearts by stopping the Indian team from entering the final but the players did not disappoint in the bronze medal play-off against Germany.

Putting years of physical and mental training to work, the players soaked in the pressure of a high-stake game to emerge deserving 5-4 winners, ensuring that the game of hockey would not slip into oblivion.

The Indian women's hockey team, led by Rani Rampal, scripted its own success story by reaching the medal round despite a hat-trick of defeats in the beginning.

The campaign did not culminate in a medal but the courageous fourth-place finish, after toppling mighty Australia in the quarterfinals, was no mean achievement. It earned the players plaudits and respect.

If Tokyo Olympics was about hockey's revival, the sport of wrestling continued to offer medals at the biggest stage, underlining its consistent growth.

The focus was on star grapplers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia but away from the limelight, it was Ravi Dahiya who left a lasting impact on the psyche of Indian sports lovers with his phoenix-like rise in the 57kg semifinals against Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev.

Trailing 2-9 with less than a minute to go, Ravi managed to pin his rival, showing immense physical prowess and mental toughness.

He could not repeat his success in the final against Russia's Zavur Uguev but it was enough to make him an overnight star. After all, he was only the second Indian, who was competing for an Olympic gold, after Sushil Kumar.

While Bajrang too stood on the podium, a bronze medal did not feel like an achievement as he was expected to reach at least the final, given the expectations and hype around him.

Vinesh's Olympic dream, though, was shattered once again with her unexpected second round exit after entering the event as a title contender. There was embarrassment in store for the game when two-time Olympic medallist Sushil landed in Tihar Jail after being accused of murder of a fellow wrestler, Sagar Dhankar.

The way the 38-year old Sushil, the only Indian wrestler to have won two Olympic medals and a world title, played hide and seek with the police before being arrested exposed the murky underbelly of Indian wrestling.

The year also propped up a new star in Anshu Malik who entered the history books as the first ever Indian woman to reach the World Championship final.

Badminton star PV Sindhu's legend grew with a second Olympic medal as she grabbed a bronze despite not being in top form. She is now only the second Indian to have won two individual Olympic medals.

Kidambi Srikanth regained his touch with a historic World championship silver and young Lakshya Sen continued to dazzle but the listless performance in team events was a significant low for Indian badminton in a topsy-turvy year.

Lovlina Borgohain clinched the welterweight (69kg) bronze to ensure the boxers did not return empty-handed from Tokyo.

Hailing from the small Baro Mukhia village in Assam, the 23-year-old became only the third Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal, after Vijender Singh and the legendary MC Mary Kom.

The Indian men's campaign came to a screeching halt after Satish Kumar (+91kg) went down to world champion Bakohodir Jalolov in the quarterfinals. The other four male boxers bowed out after opening-round defeats while Mary Kom (51kg) and Poja Rani (75kg) also bowed out early.

While the country got new heroes to idolise, established cricket star Virat Kohli lost a bit of his aura, even as the team cherished a historic success in Australia and came close to winning a Test series in England.

Kohli quit T20 captaincy at the end of the World Cup and had no plans to leave the ODI captaincy but India's premature exit from the tournament led to the inevitable and the mighty Kohli did not see that BCCI bombshell coming.

Following his sacking as 50-over skipper, dirty linen was washed in public with Kohli and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly contradicting each other on the sequence of events that led to the former's removal.

The early exit at the T20 World Cup was a big disappointment but it marked the end of a successful era under Kohli and Ravi Shastri, especially in the longest format.

The win at Gabba by a second-string side will be remembered for long as Indian cricket enters a new era under Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid.

During the year, the Indian senior men's football team won a record-extending eighth SAFF Championship title but for a nation seeking to relieve its glory days of the 1950s-60s, a triumph in a regional tournament is not something it would be contend with.

Veteran Sunil Chhetri went past the legendary Pele and equalled Lionel Messi when he scored the team's opener -- and his 80th goal -- against Nepal in the summit clash of the SAFF Championships in October.

The Indian shooters failed miserably at the Games, where they had gone with a lot of hype and expectations. They produced outstanding results throughout the year but when it mattered the most, they faltered.

Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur and golfer Aditi Ashok, though, came up with gritty show. They did not win medals but certainly new fans.

An important factor in India's stupendous success in 2021 was the way the government opened its coffers to support athletes.

Also Read : Naveen shines in Dabang Delhi's win over Bengal Warriors

News Source : PTI

2021-11-25 20:16

Delhi govt gives Rs 2 crore 'Samman Rashi' to Tokyo Olympic star Ravi Dahiya

New Delhi, Nov 25 (Sports news) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday felicitated Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya by presenting him 'Samman Rashi' of Rs 2 crore and appointing the wrestler as assistant director in the Sports Department.

The ceremony, organised by the Directorate of Education and Sports, saw the Delhi government honouring the medal winners and sportspersons from Delhi representing India in Tokyo Olympics & Paralympics 2020.

Besides Dahiya, Kejriwal also honoured bronze medallist paralympian Sharad Kumar and athletes Simran, Sarthak Bhambri, Amod Jacob and Kashish Lakra for representing India in Olympics and Paralympic Games.

"Today is an extremely joyous day for us, for we are honouring six of our country's heroes. We always say that the two crore people of Delhi are like family to us. And when a child in our family excels in something, the entire family feels elated and proud," a statement quoted Kejriwal as saying.

"Similarly, these six children of our family have made the country proud at national and international levels. This ceremony is merely a medium to thank our brilliant athletes for their extraordinary achievements and for bringing name to our nation," he added.

While wrestler Dahiya was handed a cheque for Rs 2 crore for winning the silver medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020, athlete Sharad Kumar was handed over a cheque for Rs 1 crore for winning the bronze medal in high jump at Paralympics.

Cheques for Rs 10 lakh each were handed over to Kashish Lakra and Simran, and Rs 5 lakh each to Sarthak Bhambri and Amod Jacob, according to the official statement.

Kejriwal underscored the fact that sports is a "priority" for his government and in the last few years they have implemented a series of measures -- including 'Play and Progress Scheme' and 'Mission Excellence Scheme' -- to "promote and embolden its presence in our lives".

While under the 'Play and Progress' scheme, a financial assistance up to Rs 3 lakh is given to school-level sportspersons, under the 'Mission Excellence Scheme' financial assistance of up to Rs 16 lakh is given to outstanding sportspersons for performing well at the international level.

"Sports infrastructure is going to be developed to a much greater level and work is already in progress for this.. Spectacular football grounds are being constructed in certain areas, along with sports complexes and air-conditioned wrestling grounds. This is taking place throughout Delhi. And I would like to inform the people of this country, that this isn't meant just for the people of Delhi - but for all of you," he informed.

Also Read : Mirabai Chanu to miss World Championship and Commonwealth Senior Championship

News Source : PTI

2021-11-13 18:21

India honours its sporting best at dazzling National awards ceremony

New Delhi, Nov 13 (Sports news) Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, veteran woman cricketer Mithali Raj and history-making Paralympic stars shared the spotlight as an unprecedented 12 sportspersons were presented with India's highest sporting honour -- the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna -- by President Ram Nath Kovind here on Saturday.

In a glittering function organised at the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here, the President recognised the country's unparalleled Olympic and Paralympic performances.

The event became an in-person affair this time after going online the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The star attraction of the evening was Chopra, who received his Khel Ratna award amid thunderous applause from the select dignitaries present on the specially organised function.

Chopra was the first among the Khel Ratna awardees to receive the honour.

Besides the 23-year-old star, other recipients of the Khel Ratna recognition, were Olympic bronze-winning Indian men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh, veteran goalkeeper P R Sreejesh, Olympic silver-medallist wrestler Ravi Dahiya, Olympic bronze-winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Mithali.

Sunil Chhetri became the first footballer to be bestowed the award, a well-deserved recognition for keeping pace with the likes of Lionel Messi in scoring international goals.

Paralympic gold-winners Avani Lekhara (Shooting), Sumit Antil (Athletics), Pramod Bhagat (Badminton), Krishna Nagar (Badminton), Manish Narwal (Shooting) were also given the Khel Ratna.

Along with 12 Khel Ratnas, India this year has 35 Arjuna awardees. The long list this year was a result of the historic medal hauls at the Olympics (7) and Paralympics (19).

The event is traditionally held on August 29 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

The Khel Ratna award carries a cash prize purse of Rs 25 lakh, a medal a scroll of honour.

The Arjuna award carries a prize money of Rs 15 lakh, a bronze statue and a scroll of honour.

Present at Saturday's ceremony was sports minister Anurag Thakur along with a host of other dignitaries, including his predecessor Kiren Rijiju.

Also Read : My entire focus is on sports, biopic can wait until I win more medals: Neeraj Chopra

News Source : PTI

2021-11-13 17:52

Pritam emerges surprise champion in tough 74kg competition

Gonda (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 13 (Wrestling news) Railways' Pritam emerged a surprise champion in the highly-competitive 74kg category ahead of talented junior Yash while Narsingh Pancham Yadav also put up a spirited show to win bronze at the National Wrestling Championship here on Saturday.

While Narsingh has made a comeback to competitive wrestling recently after completing a four-year dope ban, Amit Dhankar and Yash were the most talked-about in this weight division.

But it was the 25-year-old Pritam who wreaked havoc on the draw by winning two of his bouts by fall and two by technical superiority.

Even in the final, he did not concede a single point, winning 11-0 against Yash, who recently won a bronze at the junior world championship and is making a transition to the senior circuit.

Pritam dominated his bouts with his aggression and tremendous control. He knew exactly what was required to win.

"It's good that I stayed an underdog, otherwise, I would have also fallen on that side," Pritam laughed after grabbing his first gold medal at the senior nationals in his fourth attempt.

"I had prepared hard this year and I was confident that I will emerge champion. Amit Dhankar is a very strong and a veteran wrestler but I have clashed with him in the past and beaten him, so I knew what I needed to do," Pritam, who trains with Ranbhir Dhaka in Rohtak, said.

It was Yash who ended Narsingh's title hopes with a 11-7 win in a fast-paced semifinal.

Narsingh lost the last-four bout after winning a match that was worth a title clash as he edged out an equally strong and experienced Dhankar 7-6.

The match was full of drama and excitement as Narsingh's defence and dodge moves were a treat to watch.

It was Amit who got on board with a take-down move. Narsingh drew parity with a two-point throw near the circle. Narsingh twice effected doge moves as he went for leg attack but got up and quickly moved behind Amit for another take-down to lead 6-2. Dhankar got a push-out point and a left-leg attack got him two more. With just 30 seconds to go, Narsingh had a slender 6-5 lead. The two wrestlers went all out amid loud cheers from the crowd.

Dhankar seemed to have effected a roll for two points and also a push-out point but the referee did not give any.

Dhankar's corner protested and succeeded in getting a push-out point, making it 6-6. Narsingh was ahead on criteria and just needed to defend for 11 more seconds. Dhankar desperately looked for a take-down but the Maharashtra wrestler managed to defend.

In the absence of elite wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya, not much competition or talent could be seen in 65kg and 57kg categories.

Expectedly Rohit took home the 65kg title after reversing a 0-4 deficit to pin Sharwan.

The 57kg gold was taken by Aman who outplayed Abhishek with a technical superiority win.

The tightly-contested 79kg final was won by junior world championship bronze winner Gourav Balian, who beat Jitender Kinha 5-3.

Vicky emerged champion in the 92kg with a win over Monu Dahiya while Shivraj won the gold in the 125kg category with a 3-1 win over Mohit.

Services grabbed the freestyle team title while Railways were runners-up and Haryana finished third.

Also Read : Sarita stamps authority in tough 59kg event, youngsters make mark at Senior Nationals

News Source : PTI

2021-10-29 17:35

Won't rest on my laurels, says Bhagat after Khel Ratna recommendation

New Delhi, Oct 29 (Sports news) World number one para shuttler Pramod Bhagat says he won't rest on his past laurels and continue to strive hard for more success on international circuit after being recommended for the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award.

The 33-year-old Bhagat was one of the 11 athletes who were nominated for the country's highest sporting honour by the selection committee after his gold-medal winning feat in SL3 singles category at Tokyo Paralympics.

"This is like an icing on the cake especially after winning the first gold medal in Paralympics for Indian Badminton. This award will only motivate me to work and strive harder and keep pushing myself," said Bhagat, who was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2019.

"I feel my career has just started and I have a long way to go and I am not complacent and not ready to rest on my laurels." Bhagat is one of the best para shuttlers in the country with 45 international medals to his name, including four world championship gold medals and a gold and a bronze in 2018 Asian Para Games.

He thanked his "family, friends and the entire country for supporting me in his journey." "I would like to thank SAI, TOPS and Go Sports foundation for the support they have given not only me but everybody else which has motivated everyone to perform better," said the shuttler from Odisha, who had contracted polio when he was four years old.

Bhagat, who has recently resumed training to prepare for the Uganda Para badminton International Open beginning at Kampala from November 15, hoped to compete in more events this year after COVID-19 disrupted the international schedule.

"Preparations have already begun. The next tournament is going to be in Uganda. I have already started training and preparing myself for the same.

"I am hoping that we have more tournaments up ahead, last year due to Covid 19 most of the tournaments were cancelled.

"My aim is 2024 Paralympics and not just to repeat my gold medal feat but also win another medal in mixed doubles or doubles." Bhagat had missed out on a bronze medal in mixed doubles SL3-SU5 class after he along with his partner Palak Kohli lost the third-place play off match at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Bhagat said he was overwhelmed with the response that he got ever since returning to the country from Tokyo.

"The response has been fantastic, we got a great reception from not only the government but also people. Where ever we went, people recognised us and it gave a sense of pride and also motivated me to strive harder and keep winning medals for India," he said.

"This kind of response was never there earlier especially for Para sports so I am very happy that things are changing and moving in the right direction."

Also Read : Neeraj Chopra, Ravi Dahiya, Lovlina Borgohain among 11 recommended for Khel Ratna

News Source : PTI

2021-10-28 16:00

Mithali Raj recommended for the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award

(Cricket news) The Khel Ratna award is the highest sporting honour in India and is given to a person for outstanding achievement in sports and when it comes to women's cricket there is no one who has achieved more than Mithali. She could become the first female cricketer to receive the award to add to the Arjuna award she received in 2003 and 2015 Padma Shri.

It was way back in 1999 when a 17-year-old Mithali Raj scored a hundred on her international debut. She was the youngest woman to score an international century till 16-year-old Irish batter Amy Hunter broke the record this very month. Since then Raj has gone on to become one of the best cricketers in the world.

Her contribution to women's cricket in India is unparalleled. She has led India to two World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017. She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000 run mark in W-ODI matches. Raj also holds the record for most half-centuries in WODIs. In 2018 became the first player from India (man or woman) to reach 2000 runs in T20Is.

Also read: T20 World Cup preview: Sri Lanka take on Australia in match no 10

Now at the age of 38 with all this legacy behind her, Mithali Raj is still chasing her dream of winning a World Cup for her country. Raj will captain India in the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand to try and win India it's first ever Women's World Cup. Mithali Raj has now retired from T20Is but continues to captain India in Test and ODIs.

For the longest time Mithali Raj along with teammate Jhulan Goswami were the only two well known cricketers in India. Now women's cricket has gained popularity in India and people follow and support the team. Mithali Raj has seen the transition up close from cricketers having to search for their own sponsors and gears to now BCCI coming into the picture so that players can concentrate on the game and not worry about other things.

Other recommended athletes include Neeraj Chopra (Athletics),Ravi Dahiya (Wrestling), PR Sreejesh (Hockey), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), Sunil Chettri (Football), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Pramod Bhagat (Badminton), Sumit Antil (Athletics), Avani Lekhara (Shooting), Krishna Nagar (Badminton),Manish Narwal (Shooting).

2021-10-01 20:15

Indian youngsters face stiff test at Worlds, expectations high from Anshu, Sarita

Oslo (Norway), Oct 1 (Wrestling news) The youngsters in the Indian wrestling contingent will seek to gain big-stage experience in the absence of star players even as Anshu Malik's performance will be followed keenly at the World Championships, starting here on Saturday.

The proven performers such as Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, Vinesh Phogat and Deepak Punia are all missing from the squad either due to injury issues or lack of preparation.

In their absence, it is a tremendous chance for youngsters like Ravinder Dahiya (61kg), Rohit (65kg), Yash Tushir (74kg), Pruthviraj Basaheb Patil (92kg) and Anirudh Gulia (125kg) to get first hand experience of senior-level World Championship after making a mark at the junior worlds.

But, the expectations will be high on Anshu Malik (57kg), who is the only wrestler at the prestigious tournament from among those who competed at the Tokyo Olympics.

She looked a bit rusty during the trials but the hard worker she is, the Nidani girl is expected to do well.

Ever since she progressed to the senior circuit, she has delivered a podium finish at five of the six international events, barring at the Olympic Games.

She now knows the kind of performance that is required and if she is able win a medal, she will firmly establish herself in the 57kg category.

Sarita Mor is also one of the most experienced wrestlers in the women's squad. She is aware what it takes to win a medal at this level. She appeared strong during the trials.

She has the strength and technique and it will be more of mental toughness or lack of it that will decide her fate. She has won titles at the Asian level but World Championship is where she has always struggled. She has made five attempts at the senior level and once at the U-23 level but could never come close to the podium rounds.

It will be interesting to see how Sangeeta Phogat fares, qualifying for the tournament beyond her own expectations on comeback. It is not going to be easy for her since she is returning to circuit after three injuries, post a knee injury. Divya Kakran, after missing the Tokyo Olympics, must be eager to yet again prove herself. She will compete in the 72kg category instead of her usual 68kg, in which seasoned Ritu Malik will represent India.

Apart from them, the Indian squad is full of teenagers like Hanny (50kg), Pooja Jatt (53kg) and Bhateri (65kg).

The men's squad is a completely new-look group. Only Satyawart Kadiyan (97kg) is the one who has experience, while for others, it will be their first tryst at the senior worlds.

Shubam would have been a good prospect in the 57kg but he failed a dope test and has been dropped.

It will be a bonus for the Indian contingent if Greco-Roman style wrestlers are able to clear a few rounds. They have been struggling for long on the circuit and need better training to emerge contenders.

Also Read : We will decide on foreign coaches only after National championship in November: WFI

News Source : PTI

2021-08-27 10:30

UP government adopts Indian wrestling till 2032 Olympics

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Wrestling news) In a massive boost for the Indian wrestling, the Uttar Pradesh government has adopted the sport and is expected to pump in an investment of Rs 170 crore in infrastructure and support to the wrestlers till the 2032 Olympics, WFI President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh told PTI.

The top boss of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said that they took inspiration from the Odisha government's support to the sport of hockey and they approached the UP government for a similar assistance to their game.

"Odisha is a small state, yet they are supporting hockey in such a great manner, so we thought, why can't UP, which is such a big state, support wrestling. We approached them and the CM Yogi Adityanath has accepted it," Singh said.

"In our proposal, we have asked for Rs 10 crore support every year till the 2024 Games (Rs 30 crore) and in the next Olympic cycle till 2028, we have asked for a support of Rs 15 crore per year (Rs 60 crore) and in the final phase till 2032, it is Rs 20 crore per year (Rs 80 crore)," he said explaining the details.

"With this happening, sponsorships will not be restricted to just country's elite wrestlers. Even the Cadet level wrestlers will get sponsorship and we wil able to give prize money to even national champions." The WFI had also roped in Tata Motors in 2018 as principal sponsors of Indian wrestling, a partnership which had brought with it a financial support of Rs 12 crore that allowed the federation to give away central contracts to wrestlers till the Tokyo Games.

It has been learnt that the partnership will be renewed on Friday with a fresh deal.

The WFI President said this deal with the UP government will allow them to plan exposure trips to foreign countries even for India's Cadet level wrestlers.

"As of now, only the senior and elite level wrestlers have personal coaches and guidance of foreign coaches. But we can even invest heavily in training of our cadet and junior wrestlers also.

Also read: Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya to miss World Championship

"Now we can send our Cadet wrestlers abroad for training and exposure. We need to take wrestling to the next level," he said.

WFI already extends a financial support to 60 junior (Rs 7500 per month stipend) and Cadet (Rs 5000 per month) wrestlers. It remains to be seen that after such a deal with a state government, if WFI allows private NGOs like JSW and OGQ to support wrestling.

Asked about this, Singh said the door is open but with a condition.

"We actually did not need them even before. But if they want to support, they are welcome. All we want is that they stay transparent with WFI. They can't make their own secret deals with the wrestlers. If at all they want to help, they can sit with us and prepare plans with us," Singh said.

The WFI chief said it sends wrestlers to the foreign countries for exposure and training but they want to put a system in place where top international wrestlers come to India and train here.

"Let me tell you that we will have state-of-the-art wrestling academies in India for both men and women. One academy in Lucknow will surely come up and we are hopeful that another is developed in Noida, where we will invite international wrestlers to come, stay and train with our wrestlers.

"I told the CM that we want international wrestlers to come to India. It should help our Indian wrestlers. Why should they go out all the time and stay away. We will give them best sparring partners in India." Asked if there is change of guard at the state level in coming years, will the deal stay?, Singh said, "Cabinet decisions will continued to be followed, irrespective of who leads the state government. It remains a UP government project."

News source: PTI

2021-08-25 19:34

Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya to miss World Championship

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Wrestling news) Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya says he has decided to give the upcoming wrestling World Championship a miss since he did not get time to prepare for the selection trials that WFI is organising next week to pick the Indian team for the prestigious tournament.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will conduct trials on Tuesday for the Worlds, set to be held in Oslo, Norway from October 2-10.

Dahiya and other Tokyo Games medal winners have been hopping from one state to another for the numerous felicitation functions being organised in their honour.

"I don't want to be on the mat unprepared. What's the point in competing without enough practice. So I have to miss the World Championship because I don't want to go to the trials without enough practice," the soft-spoken Dahiya told PTI.

Also read: Ligament tear rules Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia out of World Championship, brings early end to his 2021 season

Dahiya will be the second big star missing from the Indian line-up as Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia has also been forced out due to a ligament tear in his right knee. "I will try to compete in one or two tournaments before the season ends after I begin serious training from next month," he said.

Dahiya, though, did not complain when asked if too many functions are bothering him.

"How do you say 'no' to them? They are your own people, who want to show respect and honour you. The only thing is I get tired," he said. It was expected that Dahiya will compete in the 61kg category instead of his usual 57kg class at the Worlds since reducing and maintaining weight is a huge issue for the wrestlers.

A lot of effort goes in cutting weight as they not only give up on food, sometimes go without water for long hours.

Dahiya did not mind that WFI did not exempt him from trials.

"The federation is doing the right thing by calling for trials. They know what is best. I don't mind appearing in trials," he said adding that he will soon convey his decision to the federation.

WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar said there was nothing wrong in asking star wrestlers to appear for trials.

"We have to prepare the second line also. We have to give chance to everyone to stake their claim to be on the national team, so all have to come to trials," Tomar said.

The 23-year-old Dahiya said he has been busy to the extent that he even could not spend time with his family after returning from Tokyo.

"I went home last week and that too for only about two hours. There was not enough time. The only other time I met my father was at the airport when we came back," Dahiya, son of a farmer from the Nahri Village in Haryana, said.

Meanwhile, there was still no clarity on the participation of three wrestlers -- Vinesh Phogat, Sonam Malik and Divya Kakran -- in the trials since the WFI has not yet taken a decision on their respective issues.

Vinesh was suspended for indiscipline during the Tokyo Games while Sonam was sent a show-cause notice for misconduct. Divya was also sent a notice for remarks by his father against the federation.

Both Sonam and Divya have apologised for their behaviour.

Vinesh also tendered unconditional apology for not wearing the official kit during her bouts but "respectfully" disagreed on charges that she did not train and stay with fellow Indian wrestlers in Tokyo.

News source: PTI

2021-08-24 10:00

Ligament tear rules Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia out of World Championship, brings early end to his 2021 season

New Delhi, Aug 23 (Wrestling news) Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia will not compete in the upcoming wrestling World Championships after being advised a six-week rehabilitation to treat the ligament tear he suffered in his right knee in run up to the Tokyo Games.

The World Championships will be held in Oslo, Norway from October 2-10 and Bajrang will not be able to begin his mat training until the rehabilitation programme is compete.

Bajrang recently underwent an MRI scan to know the extent of the injury he suffered in Russia in June before the Olympics and consulted Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who heads the Centre for Sports Medicine at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

"It's a ligament tear and I have been asked to follow a rehabilitation programme for six weeks by Dr Dinshaw. I won't be able to compete at the World Championship," Bajrang told PTI.

There is no ranking series event lined up in the remainder of the year and Bajrang said his season is over. "The Worlds was the only major championship in the calender for this year. I don't see myself competing in any other tournament this season," he added.

Bajrang had suffered the injury in the run up to the Tokyo Games when he competed at a Russian tournament -- Ali Aliyev in June.

Bajrang had forfeited his semi-finals against Abulmazhid Kudiev, who got hold of the Indian's right leg and pulled him abruptly in the first period of the bout.

The impact had an effect on Bajrang's right knee and the limping grappler immediately quit the mat but competed at the Olympics and won a bronze in 65kg category.

"Since it was my first Olympics and I had a dream to win an Olympic medal, I competed through pain in Tokyo. I had to do it." Bajrang said he was not consulting any specific physiotherapist for his rehabilitation.

"I am doing it myself in Sonepat. Dr. Dinshaw has advised a few exercises, that I am doing everyday now in gym. The mat-training time will also go into the rehab," he said.

Also read: Wrestler Ravi Malik loses bronze play-off in just 42 seconds

The 27-year-old said he wants to continue with his Georgian coach Shako Bentinidis, who has now left for his country since the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is yet to offer him a fresh contract.

The WFI will have a meeting with the wrestlers to gather feedback regarding all the foreign coaches involved with the Indian wrestlers before deciding on their fresh contracts.

While Bajrang trained with Bentinidis, Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya had a personal coach in Russia's Kamal Malikov.

Deepak Punia also had a Russian coach in Murad Gaidarov, who was expelled from Tokyo for assaulting the referee, who had officiated the bronze medal play-off that the Indian had lost to San Marino's Myles Nazim Amine.

The WFI had then terminated the services of Gaidarov.

Sources in the WFI said Ravi's coach Malikov will certainly get a fresh contract and even as the federation is still not completely satisfied with the performance of Bentinidis, it will still consider Bajrang's request if he wants to continue with him.

News source: PTI

2021-08-14 10:06

Haryana government honours state's Olympians with Rs 23 crore cash awards

Chandigarh, Aug 13 (Olympic news) The Haryana government on Friday felicitated the state's Olympic-returned athletes with over Rs 23 crore of cash awards.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya distributed cheques to the players along with job offer letters as per the state's sports policy.

A state-level felicitation ceremony was organised at Panchkula to honour 32 players of the state who took part in the Tokyo Olympics.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar could not attend the function as his younger brother Gulshan Khattar passed away at a private hospital in Gurugram.

Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, who was running high fever, did not attend the function personally but joined the event virtually for a few minutes.

Some more athletes, including wrestler Vinesh Phogat, shooter Manu Bhaker and boxers Amit Panghal, Vikas Krishan and Manish Kaushik and discus thrower Seema Punia did not attend the function.

Also read: Sonam Malik responds to WFI misconduct notice while federation awaits Vinesh reply

However, family members of the players, who could not attend the function for some reasons, were present at the event.

A cheque of Rs 6 crore was accepted on behalf of Neeraj Chopra by his uncle Bhim Chopra.

The Governor also gave away cheques worth Rs 4 crore and Rs 2.5 crore to wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia for winning silver and bronze medals respectively.

The two Haryana players -- Surender Kumar and Sumit -- who were part of the men's Hockey team were also given cheques worth Rs 2.5 crore each.

The players were also given job offer letters along with a plot each at concessional rates.

The list of the players who received cheques amounting to Rs 50 lakh included Deepak Punia, Udita, Sharmila Devi, Savita Punia and women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal.

Those who received awards of Rs 15 lakh, included Seema Bisla, Sonam Malik, Anshu Malik, Yashaswini Singh Deswal and Sanjeev Rajput.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala announced the setting up of five sports centres of excellence in the state.

He said in these centres, free coaching will be provided to the talented players. These centres will be opened in boxing, hockey, shooting, wrestling and athletics.

News source: PTI

2021-08-12 17:54

JSW Group announces cash rewards for all Tokyo Olympic medallist

Mumbai, Aug 12 (Olympic news) The JSW Group on Thursday announced cash awards for India's Tokyo Olympic medallists and their support staff with Rs one crore reserved for Neeraj Chopra, who became the country's first track and field athlete to win a gold.

India produced its best ever performance at the recently concluded Tokyo Games where country's athletes won seven medals, including a gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Javelin thrower Chopra secured India's second individual gold in Olympic history with a sensational performance.

"Neeraj Chopra will be awarded Rs 1 crore cash grant while his coach Klaus Bartonietz and Physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha will be awarded Rs 10 lakhs each," a media release stated.

Silver medallists weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who opened India's account on the first day of competitions, and wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who became only the second grappler from the country to win a silver will get 20 lakhs each while their coaches Vijay Sharma and Satpal Singh will receive Rs 5 lakh each.

The bronze medallists -- wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and shuttler P V Sindhu -- will get Rs 15 lakh each.

Also read: PV Sindhu’s journey to become the first Indian woman with two Olympic medals and what it represents

"Bajrang Punia will be awarded Rs 15 lakhs while his coach Emzarios Bentinidis & Physiotherapist Manish Chetri will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs each." "P V Sindhu will be awarded Rs 15 lakh while her coach Park Tae-Sang will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs.

"Lovlina Borgohain will be awarded Rs 15 lakhs while her coaches Raffaele Bergamasco and Sandhya Gurung will be awarded Rs 5 lakhs each," the release stated.

The members of the men's hockey team which won its first Olympic medal in 41 years will get Rs 2 lakhs each along with head coach Graham Reid, head physio and assistant coach.

"A grant of Rs 1 lakhs each will also be awarded to 4 other Coaching Staff." Parth Jindal, Founder of Inspire Institute of Sport and JSW Sports said “These Indian athletes created history for India at Tokyo Olympics 2020 in more ways than one.

"This year’s performance has been the tipping point for India to acknowledge and recognize our sporting achievement and potential on a global stage. I am confident that we can expect India to perform even better at Paris 2024," he added.

News source: PTI

2021-08-06 10:16

Haryana, Punjab announce cash awards for Olympic medallists

Chandigarh, Aug 5 (Olmypics news) Haryana and Punjab governments on Thursday announced cash awards for Olympic medallists including members of the men's hockey team and wrestler Ravi Dahiya.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar praised Dahiya for his effort after he became only the second Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympics.

Dahiya, who hails from Nahri village in Sonipat, lost the men's freestyle 57kg title clash 4-7 to reigning world champion Zavur Uguev.

"Our wrestler Ravi Dahiya put up a great performance in a keenly contested bout. I congratulate him for winning a silver medal,” Khattar said.

He will get Rs 4 crore award money as per state government’s policy for silver winning Olympic medalists, he said.

"As per our policy, we will give him Class I job. A piece of plot of land of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran at concessional rates will also be given to him,” Khattar told the media here.

He further said in Dahiya’s native village, wrestling indoor stadium will be built.

In a tweet, Khattar also announced to give cash award of Rs 2.5 crore each to the two players from Haryana, who are part of the bronze winning men's hockey team, a job in the sports department and a piece of plot each of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran at concessional rates.

Neighbouring Punjab government announced that it will give a cash award of Rs one crore to each of the hockey player from the state.

Punjab Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi made the announcement after India beat Germany 5-4 in the bronze play-off.

"On this historic day for #IndianHockey I am delighted to announce a cash award of Rs 1crore each to players 4m#Punjab We await ur return to celebrate the much deserving medal in #Olympics," Sodhi tweeted.

Punjab had eight players, including skipper Manpreet Singh, in the Indian men's hockey team.

The others are Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Hardik Singh, Shamsher Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Mandeep Singh.

On Friday, Sodhi had announced that the hockey players from the state participating in the Tokyo Olympics would get Rs 2.25 crore each if the team wins a gold.

Before this bronze, India had won an Olympic medal in hockey way back in 1980 Games in Moscow.

Also read: Bajrang Punia moves to quarters of men's 65 kg wrestling

Congratulating the men’s hockey team for winning bronze medal, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur announced to give Rs 1 crore from the SGPC to the hockey team.

She also announced Rs 5 lakh each to the Punjab players who participated in the individual games in the Olympics.

Kaur hoped that the Indian hockey women’s team would also perform remarkably and win over Great Britain in their bronze medal match on Friday.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also congratulated the team for its achievement.

News source: PTI

2021-08-05 19:32

Only Ravi Dahiya could have won from that 2-9 situation: Mahabali Satpal

New Delhi, Aug 5 (Olympics news) It was an exceptional performance by Ravi Dahiya to win his semifinal 'by fall' after conceding a massive 2-9 deficit, gushed his coach Satpal Singh, who also believes that his "gifted" ward's silver-winning show will further fuel the Olympic ambitions of the country's youth.

Dahiya set the mat on fire with his power-packed performance against Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev on Wednesday when he pinned his rival after lagging behind.

In the gold-medal bout on Thursday, Dahiya could not do much and went down 4-7 against Russia's reigning world champion Zavur Uguev.

"It was incredible and wonderful to watch because I have never seen someone winning after falling behind 2-9 and that too with just one minute to go," Mahabali Satpal told PTI in an interaction.

Satpal said in his 52-year wrestling career as a player and a coach, he has seen thousands of bouts and hundreds of good Indian wrestlers but he did not come across something like that.

"This (bout) is right up there with Sushil's semifinal in London when Sushil was trailing and then lifted his opponent (Akzhurek Tanatarov) on his shoulder to awe the world. That was incredible to watch and this (Ravi's bout)was too a super fight!," he added.

Satpal said Indian wrestling witnessed two watershed moments when he himself won the 1982 Asiad gold and when his trainee and son-in-law Sushil Kumar, who is now in jail on murder charges, won a bronze at the Beijing Games.

And now Dahiya's performance will further help raise wrestling's profile.

"What Sushil did (in Beijing with bronze medal) was massive for Indian sports. He lifted the profile of Indian sports globally and now Ravi, coming from a middle class family at an age of 22-23, has done the same and only he could have done that. The parents who used to take names of Satpal and Sushil will also talk about Ravi.

"My gold medal came when India had lost to Pakistan 1-7 in hockey on the same day. That had created an impression in our country, then Sushil's medal transformed the Indian wrestling and now what Ravi's medal will do is that it will put wrestling on centre-stage in Olympic sports.

"Earlier the kids who would come to me, would often say, they have come to Chhatrasal stadium to become the next Sushil but now kids are saying they have picked the sport to be Olympic medallist. Ravi's medal will further fuel the ambitions of upcoming wresters and those who uninitiated as yet," said the 66-year-old.

Satpal, who is also a three-time CWG silver medallist, said the way Ravi escaped from the very dangerous fitley grip of Sanayev is a testament to his immense physical and mental strength.

Sanayev, after getting hold of Ravi's both legs, turned him thrice to open up a huge 9-2 lead but the 23-year-old Indian effected a sensational turn around.

"What was incredible was to get out of that fitley grip. One more turn by Sanayev and Ravi would have lost by technical superiority. It's so difficult to get out of that grip because if you try hard, you can end up suffering a knee dislocation.

"We had trained on how to get out of that situation. More than the training, Ravi had the power and courage to try and get out of that fitley grip.

"When a wrestler trails by such a huge margin, his morale gets shattered. It was only Ravi who could have done that." Satpal also explained what makes Ravi a special wrestler.

Also read: Ravi Dahiya: The quiet storm of Indian wrestling

"What is special about Ravi is that the intensity with which he starts the bout, he maintains that throughout. His physical power, mental strength and tactical acumen is outstanding. You have to take a decision in such a situation in one hundredth of a second and he did that.

"He is an innocent boy. He does not talk much, nothing interests him except wrestling. He never skipped practice. He learns techniques quickly and apart from that, he is a gifted wrestler." Satpal said working with seniors like Sushil since the 2019 World Championship benefitted Ravi a lot.

"We had worked on his techniques in the last four months. The moves with which he pinned Sanayev were 'Bharti-Kalajam' and 'Lakkad-bagga'." "Since the 2019 World Championship he has been training with Sushil, and that was a huge advantage he had of training with such a senior wrestler.

Now my trainees have given four Olympic medals to the country in individual sports. I have tried to give everything to this sport."

News source: PTI

2021-08-05 09:15

Ravi Dahiya: The quiet storm of Indian wrestling

New Delhi, Aug 4 (Olympics news) The quiet storm. The sobriquet would fit the bill to a tee if one is told to describe Ravi Dahiya in one or two words.

He does not show emotions, sometimes making one doubt if he has any at all.

On Wednesday, he became Indian wrestling's new poster boy by reaching the Olympic final and his first reaction was, "Haan, theek hi hai bhaisahab" (Yes, it has happened, it's just okay).

Ravi is someone who always appears indifferent. No air or the flamboyance of dominant athletes in contact sports.

If he wins, he does not jump with joy. At best, he smiles.

If he loses, he goes quieter.

That's Ravi Dahiya for you.

But the moment he is on a wrestling mat, he begins to expresses himself in the best possible manner. He becomes a different beast.

His long arms, immense strength and stamina along with the technical prowess makes him a formidable opponent. It's difficult to breach his defence and stop him from making his moves.

And this is because nothing interests him except wrestling. He is not interested in buying new clothes or shoes, his uncle Anil had told PTI during a visit to his village Nahri in Sonepat district of Haryana.

All he talks about, if at all he talks, is wrestling.

For someone who was never billed as a star wrestler, the 23-year-old has made a mark in his own way.

He rose to prominence only when he qualified for the Tokyo Games with a bronze medal winning effort at the 2019 World Championship in Nur Sultan.

Even when he had qualified for the Games, he was not happy. He was thinking about his lost semifinal bout to Russian Zavur Uguev, who went on to win the title.

"What should I say. Yes I have qualified for Olympics but there are Olympic medallists from my centre. I am nowhere," he said. A picture of modesty he was then, and he is still the same.

He had won a silver at the Under-23 World Championships in 2015 to give a glimpse of what was to expect from him.

If anyone doubted his potential, he showed his mettle at the Pro Wrestling League when he beat U-23 European champion and also Sandeep Tomar, who literally owned the 57kg category before Dahiya's rise.

There were a few who were still not willing to believe in him, saying PWL was not a platform to judge him.

He silenced them all in 2019 at the Worlds, and has only grown in stature since. He won the Asian Championship in Delhi in 2020 and defended the title this year in Almaty.

He competed at Poland Open and lost only one bout. The World Cup in Serbia was an abberation.

Dahiya is a product of the national capital's Chhatrasal Stadium, which has already given India two Olympic medallists -- Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt.

His father, Rakesh Kumar, sent him there when he was a 12–year-old boy and since then has been training under Mahabali Satpal and coach Virender.

Also read: Ravi and Deepak get good draw; European champion awaits Anshu Malik in her 57kg opener

Rakesh has been toiling hard in the farm fields, taken on lease, for years but never let the struggles come in way of Ravi's training.

Rakesh would himself carry milk and butter to Chhatrasal Stadium, about 60kms away from his home, every single day without fail to ensure that his son gets the best diet.

The routine meant Rakesh would wake up at 3:30am, walk about 5km to the nearest railway station, get down at Azadpur and then walk another 2km to the Chhatrasal Stadium, where Ravi trained under Mahabali Satpal.

After coming back, Rakesh would work in the fields and it continued for 12 years till the COVID-19-induced lockdown halted the routine in 2020.

His son has now achieved something that will certainly help Rakesh forget all his pain.

All the sacrifices were worth it.

News source: PTI

2021-08-02 16:48

Bajrang, Vinesh carry medal hopes; Ravi Dahiya too a strong contender

Tokyo, Aug 2 (Olympic News) Their remarkable performances in the build-up to the Tokyo Games creating high hopes of multiple medals at the Olympics, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat will have spotlight on them when India's seven wrestlers, beginning with Sonam Malik, open their campaigns here from Tuesday.

Wrestling is one sport which promised at least three podium finishes and anything less than that will be a below par show, irrespective of the colour of the medal.

Apart from Bajrang (FS 65kg) and Vinesh (WW 53kg), Ravi Dahiya (FS 57kg) is expected to deliver at the biggest stage in the next few days.

The 19-year-old Sonam will be first to take mat in the 62kg category, pitted against Mongolia's Asian Championship silver medallist Bolortuya Khurelkhuu.

Both Sonam and Anshu Malik, also 19, carry with themselves an unpredictability factor, being new to the senior circuit. They have the spunk, grit and gumption. Anshu has a complete game and is getting better by the day.

There is no pressure on them to deliver and if even they return without medals, they will be richer in experience.

But when it comes to their senior Vinesh, the Balali girl is going to the Games as top seed and save Mayu Mukaida from Japan, she is a capable of beating all contenders even as the competition will be very tight in her category.

Vinesh has got better on defence and unmatched when it comes to counter-attack skills and it showed in her Asian title winning show this season.

However the Asian championship and other events were without powerhouse Japan and strong China.

Also read: Sonam to begin India's wrestling campaign against Asian silver medallist Khurelkhuu

The men's challenge will be led by Bajrang, who too is a much respected wrestler at the global level. In his last 10 international tournaments, he has won six gold medals, three silver and one bronze.

His superior stamina sets him apart but his leg defence will be tested in a very competitive category where at least 5-6 wrestlers are capable of winning gold.

Talk about Ravi and he too is a genuine medal contender but has not attracted much attention.

He possesses immense strength, stamina and is technically sound. Most of the times he has won his bouts on technical superiority.

However, he can't afford to leave too much work for the second period as it happened at the Poland Open, where he conceded a 0-8 lead in the final and ran out of time to cover it.

Zavur Uguev (RUS) and Suleyman Atli (Turkey) will be threats in his category.

Finally, one wrestler who is going a bit under-prepared in terms of competition time is Deepak Punia (FS 86kg).

The 2019 World Championship silver medallist has not competed since the 2020 World Cup. He has been nursing a left elbow injury and withdrew from the Poland Open, which was the last event in run up to Olympics.

He has got results on the senior circuit but Olympics are a different beast.

News source: PTI

2021-07-19 13:02

Nahri: A village desperately waiting for wrestler Ravi Dahiya's Olympic medal

Sonepat (Haryana), Jul 19 (Olympics news) Can the fortunes of a village be linked to the Olympic success of a wrestler? Well, at least the 15,000 odd people living in the Nahri village in Sonepat district think so.

A village that struggles to get potable drinking water, manages household work with just a two-hour electricity supply, does not have proper sewage lines and in the name of amenities has just one veterinary hospital to show, desperately wants Ravi Dahiya to return from Tokyo with a medal.

The quiet and shy Ravi, son of a farmer, is the third Olympian to emerge from this village after Mahavir Singh (1980 Moscow, 1984 Los Angeles) and Amit Dahiya (London 2012).

But why do the villagers think that Nahri's destiny will change if the 24-year-old Ravi wins a medal. Well, there is a small story behind it.

Mahavir Singh was asked by the then Chief Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal what was his wish after he represented the country twice at the Olympics and he requested an animal hospital in the village.

The CM obliged and a hospital was established.

The villagers now have a firm belief that if Ravi does well in Tokyo, Nahri will get some spotlight and the government could gift some development projects to the place, where 4000 families live.

"This village has given the country three Olympians. There is something in the soil of the land. We are sure Ravi will win a medal and with his success, the development of the village will also begin," said Sunil Kumar Dahiya, the Sarpanch of Nahri.

"There is no good hospital here. We have to go to Sonepat or Narela. There is no stadium. We have built a mini stadium but there is no mat, no academy, no coach. If there are facilities, the kids of this village can get better lives." The villagers have pinned their development hopes on Ravi but his success has much to do with the sacrifices and moral guidance of one man, his father Rakesh Kumar Dahiya.

Rakesh has been toiling hard in the farm fields, taken on lease, for years and never let the struggles come in way of Ravi's training.

Rakesh will himself carry milk and butter to Chhatrasal Stadium, about 60kms away from Nahri, every single day without fail to ensure that his son gets the best diet.

The routine means Rakesh would wake up 3:30 am, walk about 5kms to the nearest Railway station, get down at Azadpur and then walk another 2kms to the Chhatrasal Stadium, where Ravi trained under Mahabali Satpal.

After coming back, Rakesh would work in the fields and it continued for 12 years till the COVID-19 induced lockdown halted the routine in 2020.

Rakesh ensured that Ravi learns to respect the sacrifices his family has made. He narrated an incident when he made Ravi eat white butter that he had spilled on the floor by mistake.

"His mother made butter for him and I was carrying that with me in a bowl. Ravi titled the bowl to get rid of water and ended up spilling all the butter in the ground.

"I told him that we manage his diet with great difficulty and you must be careful. I told him, you can's let it go waste and he had to pick the butter from the ground and eat," Rakesh said with pride in his eyes that he taught his son a valuable lesson.

Ravi was six years old when his father introduced him to the sport. He would carry with him to fields, where his friend Hansraj ran an Akhada.

"He has only dreamt of winning an Olympic medal since the beginning. He knows nothing else," said Rakesh.

Ravi's uncle Anil Dahiya, who is a constable in Delhi Police, also shared how his nephew is so focussed.

"One day when he was back home, I asked him to learn motorcycle but he refused, saying he does not need it. Well, he is a young guy but nothing interests him except wrestling. He does not want to buy new clothes, shoes, nothing, all he talks about is wrestling," Anil.

His consistent focus means that he is now a two-time Asian Champion. He booked his Olympic ticket by winning a bronze at the 2019 World Championship.

While Ravi may be a shy guy but what he can't tolerate is cheating and can be very aggressive.

"At 2016 Delhi senior state, his rival deliberately broke his right-hand middle finger. He was in tremendous pain. But he told me 'competition main ab lad nahi payunga par chacha iss ko to hara k hi chhodunga.' And he beat him before withdrawing," he said.

The Nahri village also vouches for his father's honesty and strongly believes that his good deeds are also helping his son.

In 2018, the wheat harvest in 10 out of Rakesh's 20 'keela' was burnt due to a fault of the tractor supplier. While other villagers extracted compensation of the tune of Rs 15000 per keela from him, Rakesh did nothing of that sort.

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"'Jo hua so hua', I could not demand money from him. And the villagers now think God has rewarded me by giving success to Ravi," he said.

Nahri has seen both Amit Dahiya and Ravi battle it out on foreign lands by using the batteries of their tractors.

Ravi's uncle Rajesh, who is an Assistant Commandant in the BSF, tells an interesting story.

"Since we would not have regular electricity supply, we would gather around the farm tractors and use the tractor battery to get current for the television set. We watched the 2012 Olympics like this on Doordarshan.

"Now there are inverters and we also watch bouts on UWW website, using our mobile phones. We watched the 2015 World Championship also like this ," said Rajesh Only time will tell if Ravi will return from Tokyo with a medal but Nahri is waiting with bated breath.

News source: PTI

2021-07-14 16:08

Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Indian wrestlers at the Tokyo Olympics

New Delhi, Jul 14 (Olympics news) Indian wrestlers have been highly impressive at the global level in run up to the Tokyo Olympics and at least three of them will be genuine medal contenders at the Games.

India will field seven wrestlers, headlined by the spunky Vinesh Phogat and a very strong Bajrang Punia.

Then there are youngsters like Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik, who sprang a surprise by their rather quick success after moving from the junior to senior circuit.

PTI takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of all of them.

BAJRANG PUNIA (65kg)

Strength: Stamina, power, attack Weakness: Leg defence, conceding points early.

Major Result: three-time World medallist, seven-time Asian medallist Threat: Takuto Otoguro (JPN), Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS), Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL), Iszmail Muszukajev (HUN) Bajrang has been a major force at the world stage and has stood on podium in each of his last 10 international tournaments, winning six gold medals, three silver and one bronze.

Always thriving on superior stamina, leg defence has been an issue for Bajrang for long. He has worked on this aspect of his game. He is competing in one of the most competitive weight categories that has at least 6-8 wrestlers, who are all medal contenders.

The 27-year-old will have to ensure that he does not give away too many early points in a field that features tactically strong rivals.

RAVI DAHIYA (57KG)

Strength: Ability to launch relentless attacks Weakness: Can be unsettled with early point-scoring moves Major Results: 2019 World bronze medal, Double Asian champion Threat: Zavur Uguev (RUS), Suleyman Atli (TUR), Yuki Takahashi (JPN) If there is one wrestler, who did not hog much limelight but is a genuine medal contender, that is quiet and shy Ravi Dahiya.

A product of Chhatarsal stadium, Ravi is a slow starter but begins to dominate the contest as the clock ticks away. He possesses immense strength, stamina and is technically sound.

However, he can't afford to leave too much work for the second period as it happened at the Poland Open, where he conceded a 0-8 lead in the final and ran out of time to make up.

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DEEPAK PUNIA (86KG)

Strength: Flexibility, power, stamina, attack Weakness: Defence Major Results: 2019 World silver medal, 2020 Asian bronze medallist Threat: Hasan Yazdani (IRI), David Morris Taylor (USA), Artur Naifonov (RUS).

While Deepak was making steady progress from the junior to senior circuit, he is heading to Tokyo under-prepared in terms of competition time. He has not competed since the 2020 World Cup and was nursing a left hand injury before the Poland Open from which he withdrew.

Lack of exposure at the senior level means there is an unpredictability around him but at the same time, it could work against him. VINESH PHOGAT (53kg)

Strength: Power, tactical acumen Weakness: Losing points on counter-attack Major Results: 2019 World bronze winner, 2021 Asian champion Threat: Mayu Mukaida (JPN) The way Vinesh has dominated the circuit, she is easily a strong gold contender in her category. The change in weight category has worked well for her as she now has more strength in her muscles.

She is a tactically superior wrestler, has immense power that makes her one of the favourites.

However, she can concede points on counter-attack, the only area of concern in her game.

SEEMA BISLA (50kg)

Strength: Endurance, ability to make comeback Weakness: Lack of big-stage experience, defence Major Results: 2021 Asian bronze medallist Threat: Mariya Stadnik (AZE), Yui Susaki (JPN) Not many expected Seema to qualify for the Games but she punched her ticket at the World Qualifiers in Bulgaria in a depleted filed. While she is gritty, lack of experience at the big stage is a big drawback. There are at least eight wrestlers in her category against whom she has never competed.

ANSHU MALIK (57kg)

Strength: Tactically sound, attacking style Weakness: Lack of experience Major Results: 2021 Asian champion Threat: Risako Kawai (JPN), Odunayo Folasade (NGR), Iryna Kurachkina (BLR) By qualifying for the Tokyo Games, Anshu has exceeded the set targets. Anshu is fierce on the mat. Tokyo will largely help her in gaining experience at the biggest stage. She has nothing to lose.

SONAM MALIK (62kg)

Strength: Technique, scoring on counter-attacks Weakness: Lack of experience Major Results : 2021 Asian champion Threat: Yukako Kawai (JPN), Aisuluu Tynybekova (KGZ), Taybe Mustafa Yusein (BUL), Kayla Miracle (USA) Like Anshu, Sonam too is a surprise qualifier as she has not competed even at the junior level, jumping straight into the senior circuit from the Cadet level. She shot to fame with her four consecutive victories over Rio bronze medallist Sakshi Malik in the domestic arena.

Sonam is also nursing a knee injury that has severely hampered her preparations for the Games. News source: PTI

2021-06-09 17:28

Indian wrestler Ravi Dahiya to fight for gold at Poland Open after 3 consecutive wins

Warsaw, Jun 9 Olympic-bound Indian wrestler Ravi Dahiya put himself in line for his second title of 2021 season on Wednesday by reaching the 61kg final of Poland Open, the last Ranking Series event before the Tokyo Games.

All his opponents targeted Ravi's left leg again and again but the reigning Asian champion and 2019 World Championship bronze medallist grappler's superior stamina pulled him through in his bouts.

Competing in only his second competition of the season, Ravi began with an easy 10-1 win against Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev but struggled against Kazakhsthan's Adlan Askarov before prevailing 13-8.

He sealed his spot in the semifinals with a 9-5 win over American Nathan Khalid Tomasello, who like Ravi, usually, competes in 57kg.

Ravi then reached the final with a 7-4 win over Iran's Reza Ahmadali Atrinagharchi.

He will now fight for gold against Abdullaev, whom he trounced easily in his opening bout.

The most challenging bout for Ravi turned out to be his second round duel against Askarov. It was all about stamina and power as the Indian effected a dramatic turnaround after trailing 0-8 to win against the Kazakh.

Askarov, the Asian Championship silver medallist, stunned Ravi with a flurry of double-leg attacks as the Indian was struggling to negotiate with the Kazakh wrestler's fast moves. Even as Ravi got himself positioned for counter attacks, he could not execute them.

It was a strange sight to see Ravi struggling and his defence falling apart. He was just one move and two points away from an embarrassing defeat by technical superiority.

However, his rival lost steam in the second period and Ravi took advantage of that to pull off take-down moves one after another to log 13 straight points.

In Round 3, he easily beat Tomasello though he allowed the American to get hold of his left leg. Out of the five points conceded, three were step-outs when Tomasello could not complete the throw but managed to drag Ravi out of the arena.

His leg defence was shaky again but Ravi's stamina yet again pulled him through. He prevailed 7-4 against Iran's Reza Ahmadali Atrinagharchi, who had the Indian in a spot by locking his left leg multiple times.

However, the Iranian was not left with much energy towards the end, a situation where Ravi thrives. New source PTI

2021-06-03 17:36

India likely to send 190-strong contingent to Olympics: Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra

New Delhi, Jun 3 The Indian contingent for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics is expected to be around 190, including over 100 athletes, IOA president Narinder Batra said on Thursday as Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju unveiled the official kits for the country's participants.

So far, 100 athletes have qualified for the Tokyo Games, including 56 men and 44 women. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) expects another 25 to 35 to make the cut for the Games, which open on July 23.

"...we are estimating to touch 125 to 135 (qualified athletes) by the next two to three weeks when the qualification process is over," Batra said during the online ceremony.

"This means the Indian contingent, including officials and support staff, is likely to be around 190," he added.

The number of officials cannot be more than one-third of the athlete group as per the Sports Ministry rules. the ministry can, however, allo additional officials at no cost to the government.

Batra also reiterated that India's medal haul can touch the double-digit mark in Tokyo, which will be an unprecedented achievement.

The IOA chief said that all the athletes who have qualified for the Olympics have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine except for a few who have recently contracted the virus.

He requested Rijiju to ensure that all the Indian athletes are fully vaccinated before they head to Tokyo.

"The IOC will issue a Playbook (latest version) this month but there will be only minor changes (from earlier version). We have to follow all the health and safety protocols in view of the pandemic." Unveiling the official kits of the Indian contingent, Rijiju said the whole country is behind the athletes.

"Olympics is the platform where the best in the world will compete. I hope our athletes will make their best effort and make the country proud by winning medals," he said.

"Today, the Prime Minister took a review of the country's preparation for the Olympics and assured the participating athletes that the entire country is behind them," he added.

He said his ministry has provided all kinds of support -- financial and logistical -- to the athletes amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official kits are sponsored by Li Ning while the official ceremonial kits are sponsored by Raymonds.

IOA Secretary General Rajiv Mehta said that four sets of official kits will be given to each athlete and more than 100 kits have been kept aside as contingency.

"We have received the health protocols the athletes have to follow. There will be double testing of athletes before departure. All these things, we will work out with the chef-de-mission and his deputy," Mehta said.

Six Olympic-bound athletes, including Neeraj Chopra, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, Sumit Malik and Seema Bisla, were present.

Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent B P Baishya and his deputy Prem Chand Verma were also present. New source PTI

2021-05-15 20:19

WFI cancels camp for Olympic-bound wrestlers, finalises training-cum-competition trip to Europe

New Delhi, May 15 The planned camp for eight Olympic-bound Indian wrestlers in Sonepat has been cancelled due to hard quarantine and they will instead train in multiple European cities, with the national federation allowing each of them a sparring partner of their choice.

The wrestlers -- both men and women -- were to assemble at the SAI centre in Bahalgarh on Tuesday, but now, as per the plan devised by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), all of them will travel to Warsaw in the last week of May.

The capital city of Poland will host the last Ranking Series event before the Tokyo Games from June 8-13, giving a chance to all to earn some crucial ranking points that will help them get better draw at the Olympics.

"We had planned a camp in Bahalgarh but since they would not be allowed to train for 14 days due to hard quarantine, we thought it is better they for the time being they train at their respective 'akhadas' and then travel to Poland," WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told PTI.

"We are also allowing all the wrestlers to travel with one partner of their choice for practice. A few, like Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia, will be accompanied by their personal coaches too," he added.

The WFI has written to its counterparts in Poland that Indian wrestlers be allowed to use their facilities for a training camp ahead of the tournament in Warsaw next month.

After the tournament gets over, the Indian wrestlers will stay put in Warsaw for another training camp, which is being organised by the Polish federation.

Following the Warsaw trip, the Indian contingent will move to Hungary for a training camp and then travel to Turkey, where it will train and compete at the Yasar Dogu event (June 25-27) before returning to India in July.

Vinesh is already abroad with her Hungarian coach Woller Akos and will reach Poland directly from there.

It will be interesting to see if young Sonam Malik (women 62kg) and Sumit Malik (men's 125kg) will be part of the near 40-day trip since both of them are recovering from their respective knee injuries.

Sonam had suffered the knee injury during the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Almaty while Sumit had suffered the injury during the national camp but still competed at both the Olympic Qualifiers.

He had secured the quota in Bulgaria, where he settled for a silver medal.

"It will take about 10 more days to make all the arrangements, so hopefully they can recover from injuries and be part of the trip," said Tomar.

India will field a strong eight-wrestler contingent at the Games, beginning in Tokyo on July 23. News Source : PTI

2021-05-05 11:05

Dhankar eyes Tokyo berth as Indian wrestlers make last attempt to qualify for Olympics

Sofia (Bulgaria), May 5 Handed an opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo Games at the fag end of his international career, veteran wrestler Amit Dhankar would go all out when he takes the mat along with 11 other Indians at the World Olympic Qualifiers, starting on Thursday.

The 32-year-old Dhankar is a three-time Commonwealth champion but he missed the big-ticket events because he struggled to go past Yogeshwar Dutt in 66kg category for most of his career.

His last big performance was a silver-medal show in 74kg at the 2019 Asian Championship held in Xian, China.

His hopes to make the cut for the Tokyo Games were dashed when he lost the trials but since national champion Sandeep Singh Mann came a cropper at the Asian Qualifiers in Almaty, the national federation gave Dhankar a chance to compete in Sofia.

Dhankar had finished second in the trials.

It is the last chance for all the wrestlers in the world to qualify for the postponed Tokyo Games.

As many as seven Olympic medallists will be in the fray in different categories at this event, where the two finalists will make the cut for the Games.

Dhankar would be desperate to make the most of the chance but his journey will be hard as the 74-kg bracket is packed with 36-wrestler, including Rio Olympics bronze medallist Soner Demirtas from Turkey, world champion Hetik Cabolov from Serbia and Slovakia's European champion Tajmuraz Salkazanov.

Adding to the challenge will be African champion from Nigeria, Ogbonna John, Asian champion from Kyrgyzstan Arsalan Budazhapov and the European champion from Belarus Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau.

Dhankar is agile on the mat but his rivals are superior by craft and that is what is going to make a difference.

The other free style Indians wresters in fray are 2018 CWG champion Sumit Malik (125kg), who recently got married, and Satywart Kadiyan (97kg).

Malik had a great chance to qualify from the Almaty event but squandered the opportunity. He still is India's best hope in this category and it won't be a surprise if Malik sneaks through.

In the women's competition, Seema Bisla (50kg) will be India's best bet.

Ever since Vinesh Phogat moved to the 53kg category, Seema has shown promise.

Winning a bronze medal at the recent Asian Championship must have boosted her confidence.

Nisha (68kg) and Pooja (76kg) have also just started their journey on the senior circuit at international level and will only gain by competing.

Pooja does not give up easily and had won bronze at both Asian events in Almaty recently.

Among India's Greco Roman wrestlers, all eyes will be on hard-working Asian champion Gurpreet Singh (77 kg).

Sachin Rana (60kg), Aashu (67kg), Sunil (87 kg), Deepanshu (97 kg) and Naveen Kumar (130 kg) complete the team.

Six Indian wrestlers have so far qualified for the Tokyo Games. In men's free style, Ravi Dahiya (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) made the cut, while Vinesh Phogat (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Sonam Malik (62kg) qualified in women's category. News Source : PTI

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