New Delhi: In a significant shift in policy, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has hired four foreign coaches to guide the Indian team ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The foreign coaches include Georgian Emzarios Shako Bentinidis, Russian Gogi Koguashvili, Japan's Kosei Akaishi, and USA's Ian Butler.
The hiring of foreign coaches aims to bring top wrestlers to train within the country at national camps, reducing the trend of Indian wrestlers camping overseas with personal foreign coaches.
The WFI has agreed to pay the coaches a monthly salary of $7,000, a move that marks a departure from their previous reliance on Indian coaches.
Bentinidis, who coached Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, will lead the freestyle team, while Koguashvili will train the Greco-Roman wrestlers.
Akaishi has been appointed the women's team coach, and Butler will serve as the high-performance director.
The hiring of foreign coaches is expected to improve communication and allow coaches to monitor wrestlers' training programmes and get updates on injuries.
