KOCHI: India’s ambitions to recruit an Iranian coach to train the Greco-Roman national squad has met with an obstacle. The Iran Wrestling Federation has turned a deaf ear to the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) repeated requests to hand over details of the coach who had evoked a strong interest among WFI bosses after his trainees performed well in the continental and international arenas.
The WFI officials had conveyed their interest in hiring the Iranian coach, who had been working with their junior squad, during the Asian Championship in Delhi and the World Championship in Paris. Though Iranian officials had expressed interest at first, they haven’t written back even after several requests from Delhi. WFI officials are now frantically trying to locate another foreign coach for the same job. The national camps will start after the senior nationals, slated to begin on Wednesday.
With the Commonwealth and Asian Games to be held in 2018, the national camps will be a lengthy affair, running over several months. However, with no foreign coach in sight, the very purpose of the camp would go unserved.“We were impressed by the results of the Iranian. So we had asked the Iran federation to help us sign that man. But they haven’t got back to us. We have lost hope of signing him,” said a WFI official.
It has been learned that the WFI is now pursuing a Russian coach, who has also shown interest in taking up the Indian assignment. WFI secretary VN Prasood said the Russian’s name is under discussion, but a final decision was yet to be taken. This scenario is not limited to Greco-Roman. WFI is yet to finalise foreign freestyle coaches as well. In men’s freestyle, Sergei Beloglazov’s name is under consideration. The Russian is a multiple Olympic and World champion and has worked with big teams like the United States. However, the 60-year-old Beloglazov’s age might work against him.
The same issue plagues the women’s freestyle division. As per sources, the WFI has received a few profiles from Mongolia and Georgia.The wrestlers, meanwhile, are worried over the delay in appointment of coaches. “We need time to get used to new techniques. It takes the coaches some time to study us. If the appointment of coaches is delayed, it might harm our chances in the coming season,” said one of the grapplers, who will represent India in the upcoming U-23 World Championship.
Prasood argued that there had been no delay. “We are searching for qualified coaches and will draft them at the right time. For us, Commonwealth Games will be a walk in the park. We are concerned about the Asian Games to be held in August next year. There is enough time to prepare for that,” he said.
shan.as@newindianexpress.com