Haryana wrestler to fight for Oz in Rio

melbourne, April 26

Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar Dahiya is all set to represent Australia at the Rio Olympics after he won a silver medal at the African/Oceania Olympics qualifiers in Algeria.

The 31-year-old, who hails from a Haryana village, Khanda, qualified in the 66kg weight category in Greco-Roman event. Dahiya acquired the Australian citizenship a year ago and will make his Olympics debut in August.

Following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, Dahiya started wrestling at the age of eight. Seeing his potential, his family sent him to Mahabali Satpal’s wrestling academy in New Delhi in 1998. Dahiya migrated to Australia in 2010, where he started training at the United Wrestling Club under former Wresting Australia president Kuldip Bassi.— PTI