Iranian prodigy Hedayati keen to wrestle Mirzazadeh for Olympic berth
Greco-Roman prodigy Fardin Hedayati is eager for a bout against fellow-Iranian and reigning world superheavyweight champion Amin Mirzazadeh in the coming months as he fancies his chances of representing the country at the Paris Olympics.
A world under-20 gold medalist last year, Hedayati made his senior debut in style when he cruised to the 130kg gold at the Zagreb Open earlier in January.
“Thank God I was at my best in Zagreb,” Hedayati told IRNA, adding: “Some high-profile wrestlers were at the tournament but I was fit in every way to take them on. Zagreb was a proper test for me to showcase my prowess.”
Hedayati outmuscled Hungarian Laszlo Darabos and China’s Wenhao Jiang – in a repeat of the world junior final – as well as Oscar Pino of Cuba and Lithuanian Mantas Knystautas before a final victory over Chinese Meng Lingzhe.
Asked about his toughest bout in the season-opening Ranking Series event, the young Iranian said: “The match against Cuban Pino was surely a hard one. He has a world silver and three bronzes under his belt and has been a top contender in the weight class for the past seven years. Knystautas is also a former world bronze winner, while Meng came into the event on the back of an Asian Games silver.”
The gold in Zagreb means Hedayati stays on course for an Olympic berth though he is behind Mirzazadeh in the pecking order for a ticket to the French capital.
Mirzazadeh, who was unfortunate to leave the Tokyo Olympics empty-handed after a loss to Rıza Kayaalp in the bronze-medal contest, stunned the Turkish sensation in the World Championships last September to walk away with the ultimate prize – a second successive world medal for the Iranian following the 2022 silver – and will be keen to add the Olympic glory to his medal haul.
Hedayati, meanwhile, knows he will face a quite daunting path to throw down the gauntlet to Mirzazadeh.
The two could go head-to-head when taking part in March’s Yasar Dogu & Vehbi Emre tournament in Antalya, Turkey, and then Hedayati will have to clinch the Asian gold, should head coach Hassan Rangraz decide to send him to Bishkek in April, to have the chance of locking horns with Mirzazadeh in the Iranian trials before the Olympics.
“My rivalry with the international opponents will go down to the wire so that I can find the opportunity to face Mirzazadeh in the final round of the trials. Amin is a great champion and we are good friends off the mat. I hope I can wrestle him before the Olympics. I’m sure the best wrestler will represent the country in Paris,” Hedayati said.
“I’ll keep pursing the Olympic dream and remain focused on the future events. I’ll take one step at a time and don’t care how the other opponents will fare though I have outmost respect for all of them,” said the 19-year-old, for whom the biggest test in his career could come in a best-of-three contest against the world champion before the Olympics.