New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) Vladimir Mestvirishvili, the Georgian wrestling coach credited with laying the foundation for India’s modern-day wrestling dominance, passed away on Monday, aged 69. Mestvirishvili’s contribution to Indian wrestling is monumental. A former coach of the Soviet-era Georgian national team between 1982 and 1992, he mentored multiple Olympic, World, and European champions before bringing his expertise to India in 2003.

Mestvirishvili played a pivotal role in shaping both Sushil and Yogeshwar during their formative years. Under his guidance, both wrestlers made it to the 2004 Athens Olympics, marking the start of India’s serious push in international freestyle wrestling. In all, he guided four Indian wrestlers to Olympic medals.

After over a decade with the Indian national team, Mestvirishvili parted ways with the setup in 2017. However, his passion for Indian wrestling didn’t fade. He was brought back by Sushil Kumar to Chhatrasal Stadium, the cradle of Indian wrestling in Delhi.

There, he mentored a new generation of stars, including Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya, World Championship medallist Deepak Punia, and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Divya Kakran.

Despite his low-profile presence, Mestvirishvili’s fingerprints are visible across Indian wrestling’s success over the past two decades. His deep technical knowledge, Soviet-style discipline, and ability to identify talent early made him a revered figure among athletes and coaches alike.

Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and star grappler Deepak Punia led some of the big names from the country in paying tributes to the famous coach. They took to social media channels to post their photographs with Mestvirishvili, expressing their tributes to the coach who has played a role at the start of their career.

Prominent among the wrestlers he coaches are two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, bronze winners Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia, and Tokyo Games silver medallist Ravi Dahiya. All of them were coaches at the Chhatrasal Stadium, where they were all Mestvirishvili’s products. Mestvirishvili also coached World Championship medallists like Deepak Punia in his early years.

“Very sad to hear of the passing away of legendary wrestling coach Vladimir Mershidivilli of Georgia. He coached Sushil, Yogeshwar, Bajrang, Ravi, Deepak & many other top 🇮🇳 wrestlers during their junior days. He was so dedicated & passionate. Everyone loved him. RIP Vlado,” posted former India hockey captain Viren Rasquinha on X, formerly Twitter.

–IANS

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