Iranian saber team remains on course for Olympic berth
Mahdieh Qazvinian
Staff writer
Iranian fencer Mohammad Rahbari said the country’s saber team has “a decent chance” to secure a quota for next year’s Paris Olympics.
Rahbari was part of the Iranian trio – alongside Ali Pakdaman and Mohammad Fotouhi – that beat China to make it to the last eight of the men’s team event at the FIE World Cup in Algiers, only to suffer a 45-40 defeat against Hungary.
The result left Iran in the sixth spot of the FIE Team Ranking – second to South Korea in the continent – with Japan in seventh after a quarterfinal loss to the South Koreans.
“We collected 26 points in the Olympic qualification process and have a decent chance to book a berth for the Games in Paris,” Rahbari told Iran Daily.
Iran got off to a flying start against Hungary as Pakdaman and Rahbari came out on top against Aron Szilagyi and Csanad Gemesi respectively.
However, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist bounced back with five successive wins to seal the victory, with Rahbari’s triumph over Szilagyi only a consolation for the Asian team.
“We will have to participate in four more qualifiers in France, Tunisia, Poland, and Italy before the final qualification tournament in Hungary in April,” added the Iranian.
“We’ve already set sights on winning a maiden fencing medal at the Olympics for the country and will give it our best shot to finish on the podium,” Rahbari said.
Rahbari stepped into the tournament in the Algerian capital on the back of an impressive campaign at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where he bagged the individual and team bronze medals.
“The level of the competition in Hangzhou was equal to the top international events of the sport, as some world and Olympic medalist took part at the event. South Korea and China are the world heavyweights in fencing,” said the world No. 32, who fell to a semifinal setback against Oh Sang-uk – a member of South Korea’s gold-winning side in Tokyo – to share the bronze with Yousef al-Shamlan of Kuwait, while Oh went on to beat his fellow countryman Gu Bon-gil for the gold.
The bronze was followed by another third-spot finish for Rahbari, who teamed up with Pakdaman, Fotouhi and Farzad Baher to beat Hong Kong in the quarterfinals before a 45-41 loss to the host – a fourth Asian Games medal for Rhabari after he grabbed double team silvers in the previous two editions.