CHENNAI: Iranian Hossein Karimi joined as India men’s freestyle coach earlier this year. The association, which started six months ago amid much fanfare, however, ended on a sour note with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) sacking the coach without giving him a one-month notice period. “It’s true. Karimi’s contract was terminated on Monday and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has been intimated about it.
He was hired on a contract till the Tokyo Olympics (August 31, 2020) by SAI. We’re looking at options to make a fresh appointment,” WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar confirmed to this newspaper. Karimi went on leave soon after the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, where India finished with their best-ever medal haul clinching five medals and four Olympic quotas. Hired on a salary of $3,500 per month, the outgoing coach might be given his dues for the month of October.
Karimi joined the Indian set-up along with Andrew Cook of USA and Georgia’s Temo Kazarashvili. American Cook seems to be enjoying his stint with women’s team and Kazarashvili has also developed a good rapport with the Greco-Roman wrestlers unlike the Iranian, who apparently was not happy with the way things work in India, claimed sources. “The remaining two foreign coaches will continue to work with Indian wrestlers,” added Tomar.
“He failed to strike a chord with his Indian counterparts associated with the team. He was given a flat near the national camp in Sonepat since he was not interested in staying at the SAI complex where other coaches live. Karimi had also refused to share a room with one of the support staff in Nur-Sultan during the World s forcing three members from the Indian contingent to stay in one room,” WFI sources said.
Karimi was Iran’s national coach during the 2016 Rio Olympics and had led his country to three men’s freestyle medals including a gold. His stint with India, however, failed to generate expected results.
U-23 Worlds camp in Sonepat
Gold medallists of the recently-concluded 1st U-23 National Wrestling Championships held in Shirdi, Maharashtra will camp in Sonepat before leaving for the U-23 World Championships scheduled in Budapest, Hungary from October 28 to November 3. India will see participation from ten wrestlers in each category (freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling) in the event.