Azarpira, Nokhodi back in the mix for spot at world wrestling event
Freestyle wrestlers Amir-Ali Azarpira and Mohammad Nokhodi are back in the fray for a spot in the Iranian squad at September’s World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
Azarpira had been sidelined with a torn ligament injury following a 97kg bronze-winning campaign in at the Paris Olympics last year.
Nokhodi, meanwhile, had to undergo a knee surgery after he won a fourth world medal in Tirana, Albania, last October, settling for a third-spot finish in the 79kg event.
The Iranian duo will return to action during a 10-day training camp – starting today in Tehran.
According to the latest selection path unveiled by the Iranian Wrestling Federation, Ahmad Bazri, who won the 97kg gold at the International Takhti Cup in Isfahan earlier in May, will head to the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series event – kicking off next Thursday – where a gold medal will earn him a domestic head-to-head showdown against Azarpira for the Zagreb ticket.
Fariborz Babaei – also a gold medalist at the Takhti Cup – will have to repeat the success in the Mongolian capital to stay in the 79kg mix alongside Nokhodi and reigning Asian champion Mahdi Yousefi.
The Iranian world spots in the 70kg, 74kg, and 86kg classes also remain up for grabs, which will be decided through the Iranians’ results at the in Ulaanbaatar.
Reigning world champion and Olympic silver medalist Amirhossein Zare’ (125kg) and Ali Mo’meni (57kg) secured their place at the World Championships after winning the gold medal in their respective events at the Takhti Cup, joining Ahmad Mohammadnejad-Javan, Rahman Amouzad, and Amirhossein Firouzpour in the Irania 10-man freestyle squad.
Mohammadnejad-Javan will be the Iranian 61kg wrestler, thanks to a gold-winning run in February’s Zagreb Open, as well as an Asian bronze in March.
Amouzad, an Olympic silver medalist last year, has been given a shot at a second world 65kg gold after domestic rivals Yassin Rezaei and Ali Khorramdel had below-par runs at the Ranking Series season-opener.
Firouzpour’s impressive run of results in recent months, which has seen him win the Asian and Zagreb Open titles, convinced the Iranian coaching staff to pick him for the world 92kg contests.