Deepak Punia's coach Murad Gaidarov expelled from Tokyo Olympics for 'assaulting' referee

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) on Friday expelled India's wrestler Deepak Punia's coach Murad Gaidarov and sent an email to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) about the termination of his accreditation. As per PTI, the IOC has expelled Murad Gaidarov from the Tokyo Olympics for allegedly assaulting the referee who had officiated the bronze medal play-off in which Deepak Punia lost to San Marino's Myles Nazim Amine.

IOA confirms Deepak Punia's foreign coach expulsion

IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta took to Twitter and informed that Murad Gaidarov was withdrawn from the Olympics and was being called back to India. 

Gaidarov has been guiding wrestler Deepak Punia for some time now after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assigned him to train the 2018 junior world champion.  Gaidarov, 42, had won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, representing Belarus. Gaidarov was disqualified from the 2004 Olympic Games when he allegedly assaulted his opponent outside the arena after losing his quarterfinal bout. 

Deepak Punia at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Despite defeat in the bronze medal match, 22-year old Deepak Punia had a memorable outing at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 as he reached the semi-finals in his maiden games. Prior to losing to Myles Amine, Deepak went down to the United States' David Morris Taylor, who is the 2018 world champion and the reigning Pan-American champion. His semi-final bout was hardly a contest as Taylor won by technical superiority in the first period itself. Prior to his semi-final match, the 22-year old got past Nigeria's Ekerekeme Agiomor in the last sixteen and China's Zushen Lin in the quarter-final.

(Image Credits: PTI)