What makes Ravi Kumar Dahiya special – Wrestling coach Andrew Cook shares his insights
The 23-year-old has assured India of at least a silver medal at Tokyo 2020 wrestling event.
Indian freestyle wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya scripted history on Wednesday as he made it into the final of men’s freestyle 57kg event at Tokyo 2020. He defeated Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev by fall despite trailing 7-9 in the semifinal.
In fact, Dahiya was on his way out at one point as the score read 9-2 in favour of the Kazakhstan wrestler with just two minutes to go.
Wrestling coach Andrew Cook, who worked in India as the women’s wrestling coach, pointed out that Dahiya managed to stage a comeback from a point where most wrestlers tend to give up.
“He can give (the opponent) points, he is relentless. Many who go down big like that are done. He was fine. I thought it would go smoother for him, but the leg lace made for an interesting final two minutes. I knew it was over when the Kazakhstan wrestler (Sanayev) took the injury time. That was a huge mistake that gave Ravi the momentum shift and then we saw the finish come,” Cook told Olympics.com.
Dahiya had earlier defeated world number five Sanayev at the Asian Championships semi-final in 2020 and now has a superior head-to-head record with three wins in as many bouts.
“He (Ravi Kumar Dahiya) is one of my favourites, I predicted him winning this week. He has a unique form and is a nightmare to scout; he finishes attacks from positions that are really hard to get a feel for,” said Cook.
The experienced wrestling coach pointed that Dahiya is known to put pressure on his opponents from the word go. Although he may drop points at the start, Dahiya persists with his aggressive style which eventually helps him win bouts.
“His biggest strengths are his pace and pressure. It allows him to concede some early points at times without issue, as bouts proceed, he just never stops coming and I’ve seen that pressure crack some high-level opponents.
“Another strength he has is his ability to finish scramble takedowns that stay on the mat. He has a way of getting those finishes that many athletes get stuck in or stalemated by the opponent. That is what makes him special,” explained Cook.