Rahul Aware to make a comeback in 57kg, says will challenge Ravi Dhaiya for Olympic spot

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics has given a ray of hope to many athletes. They now believe they should be given another chance to prove their mettle for a place in their country’s team. One such athlete is Rahul Balasaheb Aware. The 28-year-old Maharashtra born wrestler has declared he is coming back to 57kg category. According to Aware, if the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) allows, he will be challenging Ravi Dhaiya for Olympic spot in the category.

“With the Olympics postponed, I think I should be given another chance. I will fight in the 57kg weight class against Ravi Dahiya for the top spot. But will have to talk to WFI first to know what their stand is, “he told WrestlingTV.

Rahul is the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 57kg Men’s freestyle. But he lost his spot in the team after an old knee problem had flared up right before the national trials for the Asian Games. He had requested the WFI to reschedule the trials but eventually pulled out on his doctor’s advise.

“I had a partial tear in my anterior cruciate ligament, The doctor told me that it will be a risk if you compete and if anything goes wrong, it will require surgery to heal, that’s why I had to miss trials,” he told PTI.

He later made a comeback in the 61kg weight class (non-Olympic), and went on to win bronze in the 2019 World Championship. Rahul also won a bronze at the 2020 Asian Championships. But Ravi Dahiya’s back-to-back medal-winning performances in three major tournament – World Championships bronze, Rome Rankings Series and Asian Championships gold – had completely shut doors on the grappler from Maharashtra. Aware had completely resigned to his fate after such dominating performances by young Dhaiya. But now the postponement of the Olympics has given Aware a new leases of life. With a year to go for the Olympics, Rahul believes that wrestlers can lose their confidence and form and the same would apply to Ravi. Henceforth, the selection for the Olympics should be based on the recent performances.

“In other countries national trials for Olympics are held two to three weeks ahead of the Olympics. This way they select the fittest wrestler in each weight category. I think it should be the same in India too. I have beaten Ravi in the 2018 CWG national trials by technical superiority, so I am ready for the challenge,” he says.

WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar had earlier said that with the Games postponed they are ready to hold trials if any wrestler wants to bid their chances for the Olympic berth.

Rahul is not the only one who believes that the postponement is like a second lease for him. Earlier, Narsingh Yadav had also expressed his interest in the Olympic national trials. He said he will talk to the WFI after the 21-days national lockdown is over.