Picture Credit: Twitter
In a huge upset, India’s Olympic medallist Ravi Dahiya was knocked out of the Asian Games trials. The silver medallist, who was one of the hope for a medal in wrestling for the nation was knocked out of the 2023 Asian Games trials on Sunday, July 23. Dahiya was pinned by Maharashtra’s Atish Todkar in a pulsating 57kg bout.
Known as a machine for his skills and endurance, Dahiya was knocked out with the score of 20-8 over his Maharashtra-born opponent in a rare pin in the first round of the trials. Notably, Anshu Malik and Sarita Mor are other two wrestlers who were eliminated from the 2023 Asian Games trials on Saturday.
It is to be noted that Dahiya hasn’t competed this year after sustaining an ACL and MLC injuries in his right knee.
Notably, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were granted exemption from the Asian Games trials. However, this decision of the ad-hoc committee hasn’t sat well with the other wrestlers as some of them have challenged this move to the court.
India’s wrestling squad for 2023 Asian Games
Greco Roman: Gyanender (60kg), Neeraj (67kg), Vikash (77kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Narinder Cheema (97kg), Naveen (130kg)
Women’s Freestyle: Pooja Gehlot (50kg), Vinesh Phogat (53kg), Antim Panghal (53kg - Standby), Mansi Ahlawat (57kg), Sonam Malik (62kg), Radhika (68kg), Kiran (76kg)
Men’s Freestyle: TBD (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), TBD (74kg), TBD (86kg), TBD (97kg), TBD (125kg)
