Ravi Kumar Dahiya on-par with the best wrestlers in world, says Olympian Ashok Kumar Garg

Ace Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya took home a silver medal after losing 4-7 to two-time World champion Zaur Uguev of ROC in the men's freestyle 57kg category final at Tokyo 2020 on Thursday.

His remarkable achievement in his maiden appearance at the Olympics, earned him plaudits from the wrestling fraternity, with Barcelona 1992 Olympian Ashok Kumar Garg, regarding him as a 'world-class wrestler'.

"Ravi Kumar Dahiya is as good as any wrestler in the world. He has done well in World Championships and also at Asia level. We can always expect gold from him (in the upcoming events). He is not less than any wrestler in the world," Garg told Olympics.com.

"He will clinch a gold medal at the next Olympics".

The 1994 Commonwealth Games silver medallist (57 kg) observed that Uguev's strategy to take a time-out in the middle of the bout worked in his favour. He, however, admitted that very few Indian wrestlers can fight their Russian counter-parts like Ravi did.

"His opponent (Zaur Uguev) took rest in the middle for 30-35 seconds which worked for him. If he would not have taken that then Ravi could have had the upper hand. But this is the medical time-out and there is hardly we can do about it," Garg said.

Uguev had picked up early advantage in the final bout. The reigning World Champion headed into the break with a 4-2 lead. He had an upper hand in the bout and was able to be defensive after picking crucial points early, feels Garg.

"His opponent played defensive in the entire match. He took the points early but then went defensive. He used his strategy and plan to perfection," Garg mentioned.

It was the second silver medal at the Olympics in wrestling for India after Sushil Kumar first achieved the feat at London 2012.