Tokyo Olympics: Dahiya not content with Rs 40 million cash prize, he wants gold in Paris

Tokyo - The Indian wrestler says he will work hard for a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics

Gracious in defeat, young Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya on Thursday said perhaps he deserved only a silver medal at the Olympics at this stage and would strive to get better to complete the unfinished task of winning a gold at the 2024 Paris Games.

The 23-year-old Dahiya said 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 for a silver medal. It will not give me satisfaction. Maybe this time I deserved only silver because Uguev was a better wrestler today," Dahiya said from the Japanese capital.

"I could not achieve what I wanted to," said Dahiya.

Dahiya tried every trick to breach the defence of world champion Zavur Uguev of the Russian Olympic Committee. But the Russian wrestler stayed solid in his defence, never allowing the Indian to launch his famously relentless attacks.

"His 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 coach Mahabali Satpal said Dahiya was fighting from the front and the coaches in Tokyo should have advised him to wrestle from the sides.

"The coaches (Jagmander Singh) there should have told him to change the strategy. The Russian was beatable, Ravi is a better wrestler than him, it's a golden chance that has been missed for a historic gold," said Satpal, who has coached Dahiya since he was 12.

When told that his silver-winning effort also means a lot to Indian wrestling, Dahiya did not seem excited.

"But I can't sit on a silver. I have to stay focused and work on my technique and get ready for the next Olympics Games," he said.

His father Rakesh and his family have made a lot of sacrifices to get him to this stage.

Rakesh still works on leased fields to run the household.

A windfall awaits as the Haryana government has announced 4 crore cash award (INR 40 million) for him.

But Dahiya said he was not thinking about money as all he is concerned about is winning Olympic gold.

Also, the wrestler also said he won't put pressure on his father to quit his agricultural job.

"He feels happy by working. It is up to him if he wants to rest or not. I won't put any pressure on him," he said.

His village Nahri had been waiting for an Olympic medal, hoping that it will change the destiny of its habitants.

Dahiya said his village deserved transformation.

"Yes, my village has given three Olympians to India, so it deserves basic facilities. I can't prioritise what it needs first. It needs everything. Everything is important, good schools as well as sports facilities," he said.

Nahri, about 65km from New Delhi, does not get regular electricity and potable water and does not have a proper sports facility.

Despite this, three Olympians have emerged from the village -- Mahavir Singh, Amit Dahiya and now Ravi, who is now an Olympic medallist too.