The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is actively seeking foreign coaches to bolster the nation's wrestling teams' preparations for the 2026 Asian Games. This decision marks a shift from recent years, where homegrown coaches have primarily shaped India's wrestling landscape. The WFI aims to enhance the training regimen across all disciplines: freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling.
The federation has already initiated the application process, inviting international coaches to express their interest. According to WFI officials, the selected coaches will be entrusted with designing and implementing high-performance training programs tailored for elite athletes, specifically with the 2026 Asian Games in mind.
A WFI official stated that the foreign coaches would initially be offered contracts extending up to the 2026 Asian Games. Performance during this period will determine the possibility of extending their contracts to include the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The federation is particularly interested in securing experts from Iran for freestyle wrestling, Japan for women's wrestling, and Russia. The goal is to ensure thorough preparation for both the Asian Games and the Los Angeles Olympics through regular national camps.
While prominent Indian wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, and Vinesh Phogat have previously trained under foreign coaches hired as personal coaches by WFI, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), or private organizations, the national setup has lacked a foreign coach since the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew Cook of the USA was appointed as the women's team coach in 2019, but his tenure was cut short due to the pandemic. Iran's Hossein Karimi also briefly coached the freestyle team in 2019.
However, in related news, Paris Olympics bronze medalist Aman Sehrawat has been suspended for one year by the WFI after failing to make weight at the World Championships. This suspension, effective from September 23, 2025, will prevent Sehrawat from participating in national and international events, including the 2026 Asian Games. The WFI's decision underscores its commitment to maintaining discipline and professionalism among its athletes.
Sehrawat, who competes in the 57kg freestyle category, was found to be 1.7kg over the weight limit during the official weigh-in at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. The WFI issued a show-cause notice to Sehrawat on September 23, requesting an explanation for his disqualification. After reviewing his response and consulting with the coaching staff, the federation deemed his explanation unsatisfactory and imposed the ban.
The WFI emphasized that Sehrawat's failure to maintain the prescribed weight category deprived India of a potential medal opportunity and caused financial loss due to the expenditure incurred by the government for his participation and training. The federation also noted that his actions tarnished the image of the nation on the global stage. The coaches who accompanied Sehrawat to the championships also received show-cause notices but were later let off with a warning.
