Focused on achieving success at the 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has selected three foreign coaches and a High-Performance Director (HPD) to collaborate with the national team. The appointed foreign experts are set to start their roles next month. Emzarios Bentinidis from Georgia will coach men’s freestyle, Japan’s Kosei Akaishi will oversee women wrestlers, Gogi Koguashvili will coach men’s Greco-Roman, and American Ian Butler will serve as the High-Performance Director, as per the WFI announcement.
India has maintained a streak of winning medals at the Olympics since 2008, with the recent success of securing 17 medals, including two gold and six silver, at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. WFI President Sanjay Singh emphasized the significance of these appointments in enhancing Indian wrestling, aiming not just for medals but also for sustained excellence through a robust support system for athletes at all levels.
The newly appointed foreign experts bring a wealth of experience in nurturing champions. Bentinidis, also known as Shako, has previously worked with top freestyle wrestlers in the country. Gogi, a five-time world champion, previously led Russia’s Greco-Roman team, contributing to their impressive tally of 62 world championship medals, including 18 golds from 2006 to 2025.
Kosei Akaishi from Japan has a track record of success as a national coach and High-Performance Director, guiding the team to multiple gold and bronze medals in various Olympic editions. The men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman coaches will join ongoing National Coaching camps in Lucknow, while Akaishi will be based in New Delhi for the women’s camp. The coaches will collaborate with Butler as India gears up for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India has accumulated a total of 65 medals, including 11 golds, in the history of the Asian Games. With the recent appointment of these coaches, WFI is optimistic about India’s prospects of achieving double-digit wrestling medals in Japan, building on the success of the previous editions.
