Jul 15, 2021
By: Mona Pachake
Credit: BCCL
This has been an event in Olympics since 1904, but the women’s category was introduced in 2004.
Credit: BCCL
Indian wrestlers have never won a gold in Olympics till date. In the previous Olympics Sakshi Malik won a bronze for India in the 58 kg category.
Credit: BCCL
Ravi Kumar Dahiya started his wrestling journey at the age of ten| He was ranked fifth at the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships in Xi'an | He won a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championship, 2019 and secured his place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Credit: BCCL
Punia won three medals at the World Wrestling Championships in the years 2015, 2018 and 2019 | Currently he works for the Indian Railways as a gazetted officer.
Credit: BCCL
He has won a gold and a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in the year 2019 | At 22 years of age, he has secured an Olympic quota in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Credit: BCCL
She is the cousin of the wrestlers Geetha Phogat and Babita Kumari Phogat, generally known as the Phogat sisters | Vinesh Phogat won a gold in the 53 kg category at the Poland Open this year.
Credit: BCCL
In 2020, she won the bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships and in the same year she won a silver at the Individual Wrestling World Cup
Credit: BCCL
In the beginning she had to train herself on the road as she did not have proper facilities in her academy and village | She is sponsored by the Olympic Gold Quest, a non-profit working to help Indian athletes win Olympics medals
Credit: BCCL
She trains at the training centre at Jharsa, Gurgaon where she started off with the 67 kg division | She won her first International medal at the Asian wrestling Championships in 2008.
Credit: BCCL