Life for the unassuming Tokyo 2020 silver medallist wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya has been quite hectic post his return from the Olympics. Felicitations and celebrations have not allowed him to spend much time with his family in Nahri village in Sonepat, Haryana, or with fellow wrestlers at the Chatrasaal Stadium, which is his second home.
Asked how life has changed after the Olympics, the 23-year-old said, "Not much has changed other than that people recognise me now. They want to click photos with me when I go out. People's expectations and affection have increased.”
Dahiya spoke to THE WEEK during the promotion of Smile Foundation’s educational initiative ‘Shiksha Na Ruke’ (Don’t let education stop), which seeks to provide underprivileged children access to uninterrupted education through ‘blended learning’.
Dahiya, during his visit to the site, interacted with students and explained to them how he overcame difficulties like resource constraints in life and more, in his quest for excellence.
He will soon be back on the wrestling mat, practising for the national camp for elite wrestlers, beginning later this month. Dahiya had skipped the ongoing World Wrestling Championships in Oslo, Norway, citing lack of preparation post the Olympics. He is looking forward to the national camp and the upcoming competitions next year. "I will be focusing on the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games scheduled next year. The Olympic cycle is shorter this time but the preparation will happen step by step."
Asked about the lesson he learnt in his first Olympics, Dahiya said, "I learnt that one needs to work even harder to achieve the target." Though he had a podium finish to his credit, Dahiya had said after the final that he was disappointed he could not win the gold and had to settle for silver.
