Sonipat’s village Nahri, located on the Haryana-Delhi border, is famous for wrestling. The village has produced over hundred of national and international-level wrestlers and also has the distinction of producing three Olympian wrestlers, including Ravi Dahiya, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics.

The first from the village to compete at the world’s highest stage was Mahabir Singh (1980 Olympics). Amit Kumar Dahiya participated in the 2012 London Olympics and in Tokyo, it was Ravi Dahiya, who won silver at his debut Olympics.

Nahri village, which got the entire country’s attention because of its wrestler Ravi’s triumph in Tokyo and its wrestling legacy also came into the limelight. But there was a time when drug addiction was a serious problem in the village.

“In early 90’s drug addiction became a serious issue in our village. And the drug addiction even led to many deaths in the village,” recalled village Nahri’s resident Kallu phelwan, whose wrestling career was cut short because of an accident. “But it was wrestling that saved the village from the drugs problem and the kids were again in the mud pit, hoping for a better future. In the last two decades, over hundred of youth from the village have got jobs in various government departments under the sports quota,” adds Kallu phelwan, whose two nephews are employed with Railways under the sports quota and his 14-year-son is hoping for a future in the sport.  

“Nahri is famous for wrestling. Every villager takes pride in the village’s wrestling legacy. There was a gap, when the village came under the grip of drugs. Wrestling came as a savior and it bridged the gap,” says Hansraj, who runs two akhadas – the traditional wrestling centre – on the outskirts of the village. London Olympian Amit and Tokyo Olympic medallist Ravi started the sport under his guidance and later he shifted them to Chhatrasal stadium in Delhi. “Ravi’s Tokyo achievement has triggered a wrestling revolution in Nahri and its surrounding villages. Now parents want their kids to win an Olympic medal. Hope we will have a couple of medalists from the village in the Paris Olympics.”