CHENNAI: Even before he officially joined as high performance director earlier this year, USA's Ian Butler had spoken highly about the Indian wrestlers. Highly impressed with their show in the recently-concluded World Championships, Butler believed they can be world beaters in time to come. The only thing he wants is to build a system, which can churn out wrestlers like never before. He also talked about the importance of mental trainers, sports psychologists and the vision he has for Indian wrestling. Excerpts:
On Manisha's historic feat
I had the opportunity to work with Manisha Bhanwala throughout the training camp, even before she went to the Asian Games.
From the beginning, I thought she was an incredible athlete. Her work ethic is insane. She’s strong, talented, disciplined, and most importantly, she’s hungry to improve. She’s the type of athlete who wants to travel, train internationally, and constantly challenge herself. I believe she even travelled to the United States for additional training, which shows her commitment to becoming the best.
One of the biggest things I emphasized during camp was being more aggressive, creating scoring opportunities from ties, and trusting herself enough to pull the trigger. At this level, everyone is talented. Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is having the confidence to attack when the opportunity presents itself.
And what happened? She pulled the trigger on the biggest stage in the world, at the Senior World Championships, and became a world champion. I’m not surprised at all. I saw that potential in her. I’m extremely proud of her, and I believe this is only the beginning.
On Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi finishing with silver medals
I’m extremely proud of both of them. Of course, we wanted gold. That’s always the standard. But having three Indian women competing in World Championship finals is absolutely incredible. Think about what that means for Indian wrestling. We’re not just participating anymore. We’re putting multiple athletes in positions to become world champions.
Both Kajal and Neelam showed that they belong among the best wrestlers in the world. Silver medals at this level are tremendous accomplishments, but I don’t want our athletes to become satisfied with silver. I want them to understand that they’re capable of winning gold.
As High Performance Director, this is exactly the direction I have been working toward. We’re building a system where reaching the World Championship finals becomes something we expect, not something we’re surprised by. I believe both athletes have the ability to become world champions and Olympic medallists. Now it is about continuing their development, improving the small technical details, and building the confidence to finish at the highest level.
Neelam's final vs Japanese legend Yui Susaki and need for mental trainers and sports psychologists
Absolutely. I am a massive believer in mental training and sports psychology. First, we’re talking about Yui Susaki, one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. Competing against someone with that experience and success is a tremendous challenge.
But I don’t want our athletes walking onto the mat thinking about how great their opponent is. I want them thinking about how great they are and believing they can win. That’s where mental preparation becomes so important.
One of my biggest goals is to implement a structured mental performance program within Indian wrestling. I want dedicated mental training days, individual sessions with sports psychologists, and one-on-one meetings where athletes can openly discuss their confidence, fears, pressure, and preparation.
This is something I’m extremely passionate about. Even today, as a professional athlete myself, I still work with a mental coach. I’ve competed at the highest levels, and I understand firsthand how important the mental side of competition is. My educational background also focused on this area. One of my biggest strengths as a coach is helping athletes believe in themselves, sometimes even before they fully realize what they’re capable of. But mental training is only one piece. We also need more international training opportunities, exposure to different wrestling styles, technical development, and consistent competition against the world’s best.
We have to prepare our athletes physically, technically, and mentally. I want Indian wrestlers stepping onto the mat against Japan, the United States, or any other powerhouse country believing they’re the best wrestler in that arena. Because you cannot become a world champion if you don’t first believe you’re capable of being one.
After the best-ever at the World Championships, what’s next?
My expectation is Olympic gold. Period. I’m extremely proud of what our women’s team has accomplished, but I truly believe we’re only scratching the surface of what Indian wrestling can become. I have spent a tremendous amount of time working with our women’s athletes, studying their wrestling, understanding their strengths, and identifying areas where we can improve. Now I’m also expanding that focus further into our men’s program.
We have incredible talent throughout India. Look at someone like Sujeet (Kalkal). I believe he’s an amazing athlete, and I genuinely believe he has the potential to become an Olympic champion one day. But my vision goes beyond individual athletes or individual medals. I want India to become one of the top three wrestling nations in the world, and ultimately, I want us to become number one.
I believe we’re already capable of competing among the top five nations. Now the goal is to consistently move into the top three. And I don’t want that success to last for one tournament or one Olympic cycle. I want to build something that lasts for the next 20 years.
That means developing our younger athletes, strengthening our coaching system, creating international training opportunities, improving sports psychology, and establishing a culture where excellence is expected.
I want Indian wrestling to become a program that other countries study and try to learn from. When I look at what our women just accomplished at the World Championships, I don’t see the finish line. I see the beginning.
Your vision
I want people to understand something about my vision for India. This is bigger than medals. This is about building a legacy. India has some of the toughest, most hardworking, and most naturally gifted wrestlers I have ever been around. The talent is already there. Our responsibility as coaches and leaders is to provide the right environment, the right resources, and the right opportunities for that talent to reach its full potential.
I want to help develop a generation of athletes who believe that becoming a world champion or Olympic champion isn’t just a dream. It’s an achievable goal. And I want the younger kids watching Manisha win gold, or Kajal and Neelam competing in World Championship finals, to look at those athletes and say, “That’s going to be me one day.” That’s how you build a wrestling powerhouse.
I’m proud of our athletes, I’m proud to be part of Team India, and I’m excited about where we’re going. Three women in the World Championship finals is an incredible achievement. But we’re not finished. We’re just getting started.
