Wrestlers to get foreign coaching boost

New Delhi: Indian wrestlers will once again benefit from the expertise of foreign coaches after a long gap. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to rope in foreign mentors to guide the country’s men’s and women’s freestyle and greco-roman grapplers, aiming to boost preparations ahead of the Asian Games in Japan next year and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.WFI has advertised for three coaching positions, the last date for submission of applications being Nov 15. The federation has received considerable interest from Iran, Russia, Georgia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and central Asian countries, although no applications have come from Japan or South Korea. The federation aims to complete the hiring process by year-end. Initial contracts will run until the 2026 Asiad, with extensions to the LA Games based on performance evaluations.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!These appointments will mark the first foreign hirings by Indian wrestling since the Covid-19 pandemic. USA’s Andrew Cook was named women’s team coach in 2019 but left after the outbreak, and Iran’s Hossein Karimi trained the men’s freestyle team until 2019.At present, Jagminder Singh (men’s freestyle), Virender Dahiya (women’s wrestling) and Hargobind Singh (Greco-Roman) serve as the head national coaches.