Tokyo Olympics: India’s foreign wrestling coach Murad expelled from Games for referee assault

Wrestler Deepak Punia’s foreign coach Murad Gaidarov, a 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medallist, has had his accreditation cancelled by the International Olympic Committee after he “physically assaulted” a referee, officials said on Friday.

It is learnt that after Punia’s defeat in the 86kg freestyle bronze medal bout against San Marino’s Myles Nazim Amine on Thursday—he lost 4-2 after leading 2-1 until the final seconds of the bout—Gaidarov went to the referees’ room and attacked the referee of the bout.

The world wrestling body (FILA) immediately reported the matter to IOC and also called the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for an urgent disciplinary hearing on Friday. WFI was let-off with a warning after it apologised. The world body asked what action WFI had taken against Russia’s Gaidarov and the Indian federation said it had terminated him.

FILA recomended to IOC that strong action must be taken against Gaidarov, calling him a repeat offender and saying that he was involved in such an incident in past and was let off with a warning. Gaidarov, who won the 74kg silver in Beijing, was disqualified at the 2004 Athens Olympics for attacking his opponent off the mat following his quarterfinal defeat.

IOC has cancelled his accreditation and has written to the Indian contingent in Tokyo that he be asked to leave the Games Village immediately.

“We have received the IOC letter and we have initiated action against Murad. It is a serious disciplinary breach,” said an Indian contingent official.

WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh confirmed the issue and said the federation could have faced a ban from the international body for the coach’s behaviour. “We have somehow been let off during the disciplinary hearing, or else we could have faced a ban. It was very serious,” he said.