Tokyo Olympics | Dahiya storms into final, India assured of another medal

Boxer Lovlina settles for bronze in women’s welterweight

It was a gripping Wednesday for India at the Tokyo Olympics, and Ravi Kumar Dahiya led the charge. The wrestler registered a sensational triumph against Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev in the freestyle 57 kg semifinal bout and grappled his way into Thursday’s final against Russia’s Zaur Uguev. India is assured of a silver. Trailing 2-9, Dahiya reduced the deficit to 7-9 before pinning his opponent down; he was eventually declared ‘winner by fall’. The 23-year-old from Haryana became the second Indian wrestler to qualify for an Olympic final, his predecessor being Sushil Kumar at the London Games in 2012. Dahiya’s effort capped a remarkable day for the Indian contingent in which its medal hopes never waned. Lovlina Borgohain lost the women’s welterweight (64-69 kg) semifinal to Turkey’s Busenaz Surmeneli, but the boxer from Assam already had the bronze in her kitty by virtue of having qualified for the last-four stage.