Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 23: Olympic Silver medallist Ravi Dahiya today visited Jammu to thank his mentor, Vickrant Mahajan who inspired him to win an Olympic medal in Tokyo-2020, here.
Ravi Dahiya is only the second wrestler in India’s 121-year Olympic history to win an Olympic Silver medal and the first one to do so at his maiden Olympics. Besides, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he became the first Indian male medallist at the Olympics after nine years.
“Very few people know that to accomplish this unparalleled feat for the nation, Ravi has been mentored by Jammu-based motivator Vickrant Mahajan and as a token of gratitude, Ravi came to Jammu to thank his motivator for his Olympic medal,” he said while addressing media at Adarsh Enclave Trikuta Nagar, here.
“My association with Vickrant goes back two and a half years. Vickrant had started a campaign called the Goalete program to motivate India’s athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said wrestler Dahiya.
Vickrant said that in the year of 2019, he went to Chhatrasal Stadium where Ravi Dahiya was one of the wrestlers he motivated. Ravi resonated instantly with the Goalete program and embarked actively on it.
“Initially my goal was to just qualify for the Olympics. But Vickrant inspired me to set the goal of the Olympic Gold and commit myself wholeheartedly to its pursuit.” said Ravi Dahiya.
After Vickrant’s motivation, he became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, won the Asian Wrestling Championship in 2020 and 2021 and the Gold at Rome World Ranking Series in 2020, besides the historic Silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ravi Dahiya said.
Speaking on the Tokyo journey, Ravi further said, “I was nowhere till two and a half years ago. After I met him, I used to call him almost every day for motivation. Even the day of my Olympic final I spoke to him and he is the first person that I called after winning the Silver medal. I genuinely feel that the person who played the most pivotal role in getting me on that Olympic podium is Vickrant Mahajan.”
He also explained the reason for his presence in Jammu. “Since my return from Tokyo on the 9th of August, I have been attending one felicitation function after another and I have not been able to even go home except to attend yet another felicitation function in my village. From tomorrow, I have another long list of functions lined up, but before getting into that grind, I thought it’s my responsibility to come personally to Jammu and thank the person who has been most instrumental in my Olympic success.”
Together, they have worked out a goal vision for the next 10 years and, as Vickrant said: This is just the beginning. And given that Ravi is a lifelong Goalete, he will bring a multitude of honours to India from the highest competitions in the world and will inspire the world with his excellence in sport.”
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