TOI Exclusive | ‘He’s left us, but his heart is still in India’: Late Vladimir Mestvirishvili becomes first foreign coach to receive Padma Shri

NEW DELHI: “Is it for real what you are telling me? I am speechless, too emotional. It’s a proud moment for our whole family.” Shalva Mestvirishvili’s voice was choking over the telephone from Tbilisi, Georgia, when informed of his late father, legendary wrestling coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili being named for the Padma Shri awards on Sunday.

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As TOI conveyed the news of senior Mestvirishvili’s posthumous honour, his son Shalva, 35, broke down, profusely thanking India for the love and affection showered upon his father even after his death seven months ago.




Affectionately known as ‘Laado’ in the Indian wrestling community, quiet, unassuming and with an unparalleled success rate, Vladimir was a celebrated coach, who spent close to two decades shaping India’s finest men’s freestyle wrestlers — notably double Olympic medal winner, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia among others. He passed away on June 23 last year, at the age of 81 in Tbilisi due to age-related illness.

On Sunday, bestowing him with the nation’s fourth highest civilian honour, the government was also giving Vladimir the distinction of becoming the first-ever foreign coach to receive the Padma award. With a long career in India, Cuban boxing coach Blas Iglesias Fernandez was the first foreign coach to receive the Dronacharya award in 2012.

In wintry Tbilisi, a family, on way to spending Sunday on their farmland, was only becoming aware of these unique firsts achieved by their late father.

* LIST OF WINNERS: World Cup-winning Indian cricket team captains Rohit Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur and tennis great Vijay Amritraj were among nine sportspersons who were named as recipients of Padma Awards 2026 by the Indian government on Sunday.

• Vijay Amritraj (Tennis) - Padma Bhushan
• Baldev Singh (Hockey) - Padma Shri
• Bhagwandas Raikwar (Bundeli war art trainer) - Padma Shri
• Harmanpreet Kaur (Cricket) - Padma Shri
• K Pajanivel (Silambam coach) - Padma Shri
• Praveen K (Para high jumper) - Padma Shri
• Rohit Sharma (Cricket) - Padma Shri
• Savita Punia (Hockey) - Padma Shri
• Vladimir Mestvirishvili (Wrestling) - Padma Shri (Posthumous)

“Just the other night, my father came in my dreams. He was, as usual, imparting wrestling lessons to his trainees. And today, you are telling us about this big big news. It all feels so surreal,” Shalva told TOI.

“It was like my father telling me in my dreams ‘Son, tomorrow you are going to hear great news about me’. I have no words to express my feelings. I am so emotional and literally crying. This is one of the happiest news I have heard in a long time. Thank you India for showering all your love and affection on my father even after his death. This means huge for the entire family. Up there, he would be smiling and thanking Indian wrestling,” added Shalva.

“Maybe he has left us, but his presence can still be felt. Physically he is not around, but his heart and soul are there in India. He left them there, even though he had returned to Georgia.”

“My mother (Mareya) can’t speak at the moment. She is sitting on a couch and simply crying, remembering my father and the time spent in India. I’ll make you speak with her some other day. My father had wanted to settle down with his family in India...near NIS Patiala. There were plans but the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted everything. Wrestling was his first love and India his second home,” Shalva added.

Vladimir was pivotal in lifting the profile of Indian wrestling. Arriving in 2002, he transformed the country’s men’s wrestling ethos with Soviet-style discipline and technique, ultimately contributing to four Olympic medals, becoming one of the most successful foreign coaches in the history of Indian sports. He was the men’s freestyle coach until 2017, following which Sushil brought him back to coach at Chhatrasal stadium, where he worked with Dahiya and Punia during their formative years. He also coached Divya Kakran at Chhatrasal during this time.

Before coming to India, Vladimir was the coach of the Georgian team for 10 years, where he produced several European, Olympic and World champions.

Son Shalva dwelt upon his father’s time spent in India. “When he returned to Tbilisi after the Covid outbreak, not a single day passed when he didn’t tell stories about Indian wrestling. India never left him. Sushil, Yogeshwar or Bajrang, whenever they would come to Georgia for training, they stayed at our place and had home-cooked Indian food. Such was the bond. I was 12-year-old when we first arrived in India (NIS Patiala). I grew up with Indian wrestlers and saw from close quarters how much they respected my father,” he added.


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