Zagreb Open Ranking Series:
Qassempour to chase a tilt at Olympic berth in wrestling season opener
With the Olympic wrestling qualifiers getting underway in two months, Kamran Qassempour will be looking to have a statement performance at the season-opening UWW Ranking Series event when the Zagreb Open kicks off on Wednesday.
the Iranian will make only a second appearance in the 97kg weight class as he is eager to add the Olympic glory to his two world 92kg titles in Paris next summer.
The campaign in the Croatian capital could be quite a daunting task for the Iranian as his sole bout in the Olympic weight division saw him fall to a comprehensive defeat against decorated American Kyle Snyder at the 2022 Freestyle World Cup, no to mention he has been sidelined for months with a groin injury, which kept him out of last September’s World Championships in Belgrade as well as the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Meanwhile, Iranian prodigy Amir-Ali Azarpira – a winner of double world under-23 golds – will be aiming to throw down the gauntlet to his fellow 97kg countryman ahead of the qualification events following a dominant campaign at the National Championships in December.
Superheavyweight rivalry
A domestic superheavyweight rivalry for the Olympic spot could be settled in Zagreb as the two Iranian young guns Amirhossein Zare’ and Amir-Reza Ma’soumi will be a part of the 125kg contests.
Having bagged a second world gold in three years in September – defeating high-profile wrestlers Taha Akgül and Geno Petriashvili in the process – Zare’ is widely regarded as the favorite to walk away with the ultimate prize in Paris but will first have to see off competition from 19-year-old Ma’soumi – a world champion in all age groups – who is in dazzling form after cruising to the top podium at the National Championships.
Elsewhere, Rahman Amouzad is desperate to bounce back from a below-par run in the international events last year.
The Iranian was from his ruthless form when began his world title defense in Belgrade and only managed to finish fifth to secure an Olympic 65kg quota for the country.
He then represented Iran in the Asian Games but settled for an unimpressive silver, courtesy of an 11-1 loss to Mongolian Tömör-Ochiryn Tulga.
Joining Amouzad in the 65kg contests is Abbas Ebrahimzadeh, who was handed a spot in Zagreb after a final victory over Ali Khorramdel in the national event.
Two-time world bronze medalist Younes Emami and national champion Hossein Abouzari will take part in the 74kg competitions – in what will likely decide who will be the Iranian contestant at the Olympic qualification tournaments in the coming months.
American sensation Jordan Burroughs pulled out of the 74kg event last week but there will be a number of up-and-coming faces competing in the Olympic class, including Azerbaijan’s Dzhabrail Gadzhiev and Georgios Kougioumtsidis of Greece.
Hadi Vafaeipour punched his Zagreb ticket after a surprise 86kg national title in December – coming out on top against Ali Savadkouhi in the final – but surely knows he will be out of contention for Paris once nine-time world and Olympic medalist Hassan Yazdani is back on the mat following a surgery on his injured shoulder in November.
In the non-Olympic 79kg contests, meanwhile, Iran will be represented by reigning world bronze medalist Mohammad Nokhodi and national champion Abodallah Sheikh A’zami, though the former could still move to a lower weight class after the tournament to take a shot at an Olympic quota.