Tokyo Olympics: In Nahri village, medal brings hope of electricity, water | Tokyo Olympics News – Times of India

Ab lagta hai bijli ki samasya door ho jayegi, paani bhi poora aa jayega (it seems now our electricity and water problems will be solved),” says Ravi Dahiya’s father Rakesh, who is hoping that his elder son’s Olympic medal can bring 24-hour electricity supply to Nahri, a remote village in Haryana around 10 kilometres from Sonepat, and also solve the problem of potable drinking water.
In fact, the entire village of around 15,000 people have been praying for the wrestler’s success in Tokyo, ever since he qualified for the Games in 2019. They are praying Ravi’s medal will, at long last, lead to development.
“I hope his medal brings 24×7 electricity supply and proper roads. We would like to believe that my son’s medal will bring development to the village. I am happy for his success. I am confident he will come back home with gold,” Rakesh told TOI.
Nahri receives two hours of electricity in the morning and six in the evening. For Ravi’s matches, especially his semifinal bout in the afternoon – a time when the electricity goes off – the local district administration made arrangements for uninterrupted power supply to ensure villagers could view the action live from Tokyo.
Father Rakesh’s optimism also stems from boxer Lovlina Borgohain’s medal-winning campaign, which resulted in her native Baromukhia village in Assam’s Golaghat district getting a cemented road.
A similar announcement is awaited from the Haryana government and villagers believe it will follow soon once Ravi returns with gold from Tokyo.
“There’s a long-standing demand for a government hospital here since we have to travel to Sonepat for medical treatment,” he added.
Rakesh has been a pillar of strength for Ravi and his younger son Pankaj (20), also a grappler at Chhatrasal stadium. Rakesh, a small-time farmer, would travel almost 40kms daily to Chhatrasal to deliver milk, curd and white butter to Ravi and Pankaj. The journey, by local train and on foot, would take him around an hour. He had been doing this for the past 13 years until it came to a halt in March 2020 because of the lockdown.
However, despite the obstacles, Rakesh ensured that Ravi received his daily quota of milk and butter through “local resources”. Ravi joined Chhatrasal when he was 10 years old under the tutelage of Mahabali Satpal and has been training there since.
“Every father makes sacrifices for his son. I have done nothing new. It’s my job to look after them properly when they are doing so much for the country,” Rakesh said.