Lucknow, May 31: India’s new men’s freestyle wrestling coach Shako Bentinidis believes reigning U23 world champion Sujeet Kalkal has the potential to become an Olympic medallist but must further sharpen his technical skills to dominate the highly competitive 65kg category.
He also urged Indian coaches to continuously upgrade themselves through greater exposure to international training methods and evolving tactical trends in the sport.
Returning to India after a successful four-year stint with Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, the Georgian coach made it clear that his mission extends beyond preparing elite wrestlers for major events.
Well-versed with Indian culture, Bentinidis joined the national camp in Lucknow on Saturday and immediately got down to business, watching the trials for the Asian Games. He wants to create a culture of continuous learning among Indian coaches, whom he feels need greater exposure to international training methods and evolving tactical trends in world wrestling.
Bentinidis, who guided Bajrang through one of the most successful phases of his career, described Sujeet as the natural successor in India’s rich 65kg tradition that previously featured legends such as Sushil Kumar and Bajrang.
“First it was Sushil Kumar, then Bajrang and now Sujeet,” Bentinidis said while assessing the country’s leading 65kg wrestler.
Having returned to India despite opportunities elsewhere, Bentinidis said his decision was driven by unfinished business and his belief in the country’s wrestling potential.
While praising Sujeet’s achievements, which include a U-23 world title and victories in ranking series events, the coach cautioned against reading too much into success before the Olympics.
“Sujeet has won ranking series tournaments and is a world champion at the U23 level, but the Olympic Games are different. The Olympics are not just about wrestling, they are about psychology, preparation and handling pressure,” he said. (PTI)
