THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, APRIL 23, 2026

Focused on winning multiple medals at the 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has appointed three foreign coaches and a High-Performance Director to work with the national squad, with the experts expected to assume their roles next month.

Georgia’s Emzarios Bentinidis will take charge as the men’s freestyle coach, Japan’s Kosei Akaishi will oversee the women wrestlers, while Gogi Koguashvili will handle the men’s Greco-Roman team. American Ian Butler has been appointed as the High-Performance Director, according to a WFI release on Thursday.

India has secured at least one medal at every Olympic Games since 2008, and the national contingent recently delivered an impressive performance at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, winning 17 medals, including two gold and six silver.

 “These appointments mark a significant milestone in Indian wrestling. By bringing in international expertise and establishing a dedicated high-performance leadership structure, we are building a system that supports our athletes at every level. Our goal is not only to win medals but to create a sustainable pathway for long-term excellence,” said WFI president Sanjay Singh.

All four foreign experts bring with them a strong track record of producing champions. Bentinidis, popularly known as Shako, has previously worked with some of India’s top freestyle wrestlers.

Koguashvili, a five-time world champion, has also served as the head coach of Russia’s Greco-Roman team, guiding them to 62 world championship medals, including 18 gold, between 2006 and 2025.

Akaishi has held roles as national coach and High-Performance Director with Japan’s national team, which went on to win four gold and two bronze medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a record eight gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman coaches will join the national coaching camps currently underway at the Sports Authority of India Regional Centre in Lucknow, while Akaishi will be stationed at Indira Gandhi Stadium for the women’s camp.

The three coaches will work closely with Butler, who will shuttle between Lucknow and New Delhi as India begins its preparations for the 2026 Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September.

India has so far won a total of 65 medals, including 11 gold, in the history of the Asian Games. In the previous edition held in China, the Indian contingent finished with six medals, including one silver and five bronze. The WFI remains confident that, with the new coaching setup, India can aim to reach double figures in wrestling medals in Japan.