Tokyo Olympics: Ravi Kumar creates history, enters final of 57kg wrestling event

India's Ravi Kumar Dahiya entered the finals of the 57kg wrestling event at Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, August 4 after shocking Nurislam Sanayev through a pin in the semi-final bout. Dahiya's victory also confirmed India's fourth medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Ravi is a two-time Asian Championships gold medallist and a bronze medal winner at the World Championships in 2019.

Ravi Kumar enters Tokyo Olympics final

The entry in the final also issues the wrestler of the silver medal and will now face either ROC's Uguev or Iran's Atrinagharchi in the final.  The bout started in a cagey fashion with both wrestlers registering points in the initial minutes of the first round. But Sanayev almost won the match as he registered 8 points in a row by turning the Indian wrestler around by holding his legs. But Ravi Kumar staged a grand comeback as he first reduced the deficit to 5-9  and then turned the match around by pinning Sanayev to pick up 5 points in a row. The Indian wrestler won the bout with just over 30 seconds remaining.

Family members & neighbours of Ravi Kumar Dahiya in Sonipat celebrate as soon as he makes his winning move in the Wrestling, Men's 57kg Freestyle Semi-finals, against Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev in Tokyo.

Earlier Ravi Kumar Dahiya made a great start to his campaign by winning his opening two bouts with a technical knockout. He first defeated Colombia's Tigreros Urbano (13-2) in his opening bout after which he went onto beat Bulgaria's Georgi Valentinov Vangelov (14-4).

Other Indian wrestlers toi win medal in Olympics

Ravi Kumarbecame just the second Indian wrestler ever to enter the Olympics final after Sushil Kumar back in 2012 London Olympics.  KD Jadhav had become India's first wrestler -- and the first individual Olympic medallist -- to win a bronze at the 1952 Helsinki Games. After that, Sushil enhanced wrestling's profile by winning a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games and bettered the colour of the medal by claiming a historic silver in 2012 London Olympics. That made Sushil India's only athlete with two individual Olympic medals for nine years, a feat that has now been matched by shuttler PV Sindhu. In the same 2012 London Games, Yohesgwar Dutt won a bronze. Sakshi Malik became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal when she took a bronze in the 2016 Rio Games.

(With inputs from PTI)