TBILISI, DFWatch – A South Ossetian ex-politician has been fired from his position as coach for Russia’s national wrestling team.

Dzambulat Tedeev is an opposition candidate who tried to register for the region’s presidential election last November, but was denied by authorities. He has since left the region and continued his job as coach.

But during the tumultuous last few months, Tedeev has been a supporter of opposition leader Alla Dzhioyeva, who was submitted to hospital Thursday because of a heart attack after militiamen broke into her office and tried to bring her in for questioning. This happened the day before what was to have been her unofficial inauguration ceremony.

February 11, information about Tedeev’s firing was released. The official reason was named as his health condition.

According to the webpage of the Russian Martial Arts Federation, Tedeev last year had an operation in Germany and isn’t fully able to carry on with his coaching duties. Accordingly, Tedeev asked to leave for absence due to a worsening in his health condition. He will therefore not be able to prepare the team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

But Tedeev himself told the newspaper Vzglyad that the firing was unexpected. He reiterated a statement made in November last year that he has completely dissociated himself from the political life of the Georgian breakaway region South Ossetia.

“I’m busy with my activities in Moscow, I’m a little person, I’m not busy with politics any more. Now, today I was unexpectedly fired from work. I never lost a championship in eleven years,” he said.

Tedeev refused to comment on the connection between him being fired and current events in Tskhinvali, only saying that he’s not going to go back to Tskhinvali yet.

In November there were held so-called presidential elections in South Ossetia, which most of the world recognizes as part of Georgia, but is currently occupied by Russia. Early results showed that a clear majority of the population supported Alla Dzhioyeva. She competed against Kremlin favorite, Anatoly Bibilov.