Indian origin wrestler Vinod Kumar Dahiya is all set to represent Australia at the Rio Olympics after qualifying in the 66kg weight category in the Greco-Roman event.
The 31-year-old grappler secured an Olympic berth after winning a silver medal at the African/Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Algeria.
Vinod, originally hailing from a small village of Khanda in Haryana, became a citizen of Australia last year and is now all set to make his debut at the Rio Olympics in August.
Following in the footsteps of his elder brothers, Vinod started wrestling at age of eight. Seeing his potential, Vinod's family sent him to Mahabali Satpal's wrestling academy in New Delhi in 1998.
Thereafter, he participated in state and national competitions for four years. He also competed in the popular Indian sport of dirt wrestling.
Vinod migrated to Australia in 2010, where he started training at the United Wrestling Club under former Wresting Australia President, Kuldip Bassi.
Based in Victoria, Vinod has so far claimed six national championships and countless medals at the Australia Cup and Canberra Cup tournaments.
He represented the green and gold for the first time at the Oceania Championships in New Zealand in March, where he bagging the gold medal.
Image: Vinod Kumar Dahiya
Photograph: Vinod Kumar Dahiya/Facebook
