Tokyo Olympics: ‘Maybe I deserved only silver’

In an interview to PTI after his 57kg final, the 23-year-old Ravi said that a silver medal would never give him satisfaction even though his performance would mean a lot for Indian wrestling. “I did not come to Tokyo to win silver. Maybe this time, I deserved only silver because Zavur Uguev was a better wrestler on the day,” said Ravi from the Japanese capital. 

“I could not achieve what I wanted to,” added Ravi, disappointment palpable in his voice. “Uguev’s style was very good. I just could not find a way to play my game. I don’t know what I could have done. He wrestled very smartly,” the two-time reigning Asian champion said. 

His personal coach Mahabali Satpal said that Ravi fought from the front and added that the national team coach in Tokyo should have advised him to wrestle from the sides. “Jagmander Singh should have told him to change the strategy. The Russian was beatable, Ravi is a better wrestler than him. A great chance has been missed for a historic gold,” rued Satpal, who has been coaching Ravi since he was 12. 

When told that his silver-winning effort means a lot to Indian wrestling, Ravi did not seem excited. “I can’t sit on silver. I have to stay focussed, work on my technique and get ready for the next Olympics Games,” he said. A windfall awaits him as the Haryana government has announced Rs 4 crore cash award, but Ravi said that he is not thinking about money.