In Pics: Indian wrestlers who have won medals at Olympics
Indian wrester Ravi Kumar Dahiya put on a sensational show on Wednesday (August 4) to enter the gold medal final in the 57kg category by defeating Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev in the semifinal. Dahiya became just the second Indian wrester ever to enter the Olympics final after Sushil Kumar back in 2012 London Olympics.
Indian wrester Ravi Kumar Dahiya put on a sensational show on Wednesday (August 4) to enter the gold medal final in the 57kg category by defeating Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev in the semifinal. Dahiya became just the second Indian wrester ever to enter the Olympics final after Sushil Kumar back in 2012 London Olympics.
After the end of the first period, Dahiya had a 2-1 lead but Sanayev came prepared and attacked the Indian's left leg, getting a good grip of that turned him thrice to log six points in a jiffy. Suddenly Dahiya's lead was gone and he was staring at a defeat but his superior stamina and technical prowess was still at work. The remaining one minute was enough for him to turn the tide and he did it in style.
He got hold of Sanayev with a double leg attack and then gripped him tightly, Kazkahstan wrestler's back on the mat and finished the bout with a might 'pin'. Even in his previous bouts Dahiya was dominant as the 23-year won both his previous contests on technical superiority en route the final.
Dahiya will now take on Zaur Uguev of Russia in the final on Thursday (August 5) and can potentially become India's second-ever individual gold medallist at Tokyo Olympics after Abhinav Bindra back in 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Having assured atleast a silver medal, Dahiya is is now only the fifth Indian wrestler to have won an Olympic medal.
Take a look at Indian wrestlers who have won medals at Olympics:
Sushil Kumar
Sushil Kumar bettered the colour of his bronze medal by claiming a historic silver in 2012 at the London Games that made him India's only athlete with two individual Olympic medals. However, recently ace shuttler PV Sindhu became another Indian athlete to win two individual Olympic medals when she won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.