2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia called him the ‘father figure’ of Indian wrestling. On the other hand, 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutta said Indian wrestlers would not have won medals at the Olympics without Mestvirishvili’s guidance. Mestvirishvili died last year at the age of 81.

“Whenever Sushil, Yogeshwar and my name is mentioned, his name should also be mentioned. He played a big role in India’s Olympic medal win,” said Bajrang. Yogeshwar Dutta, who trained under Mestvirishvili for nearly 15 years, credits him with improving the technical skills of Indian wrestlers.

“After he came to India, the technical issues were resolved. We had a clear idea of ​​what to do and why to do it,” Yogeswar said. He added, “I believed he should have received the Dronacharya award during his lifetime. But I thank the government for awarding him the Padma Shri in recognition of his contribution.”

Bajrang recalls a hard-working coach whose motto was ‘wrestlers first’. “He used to repair the wrestling mats himself when needed. It shows how much he cared about the wrestlers. He treated all the wrestlers as his family members. He didn’t care whether someone won a medal or not—just like a father treats his children. There are very few coaches who take care of the wrestlers even after training is over.” Said Bajrang.

“He paid attention to even the smallest details. For example, he would get annoyed if we wore only slippers in winter and ask us to wear socks. His technical knowledge was modern and he was always updated. I have also gone abroad with him and saw how much he was respected by wrestlers in European countries,” says Bajrang.

Yogeshwar recalls Mestvirishvili’s generosity and fairness. “When our jerseys got wet after training, he would give us his own dry jerseys to keep us from getting cold. In winters, he would also give us his tracksuits. He took care of everything from diet to training schedule. He made no distinction between senior and junior wrestlers. He demanded only one thing—dedication and devotion,” recalls Yogeshwar.