Yazdani to wrestle in 97kg class on return to action, Dorostkar confirms
Wrestling sensation Hassan Yazdani will move up to the 97kg weight category on return from a shoulder injury, Iranian freestyle team coach Pejman Dorostkar confirmed.
A winner of a national-high 10 world and Olympic medals, Yazdani had to undergo a second surgery on his injured shoulder in September last year – following an 86kg final loss at the Paris Olympics – before starting his rehabilitation program five months later in Tehran.
“Given his current weight condition and the two surgeries he’s had on his shoulder, I don’t think it would be wise for him to cut weight when he returns to action in one or two months. So, he will most likely compete in the 97kg division in the future. God willing, we’ll have the same strong and energetic wrestler that Iranian fans want to see,” Dorostkar said of Yazdani in an interview with the official website of the Iranian Wrestling Federation.
September’s World Championships in Zagreb, however, will come a bit too soon for Yazdani, which means the three-time world champion will miss the flagship global event of the sport for the first time in a decade.
When asked about Iran’s chances of winning the team title in Zagreb, Dorostkar said: “We will definitely have a tough job on our hands. Russia and the United States have dominated the world event in recent years, not to mention, Japan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan will also be among the contenders, while there are individual stars from Bahrain, India, and Hungary in certain weight classes. We still have a solid, decent squad, and will be focused on our own strengths.”
Eight wrestlers have already secured a spot in the Iranian freestyle squad for the Wrestling Worlds.
Olympic bronze medalist Amir-Ali Azarpira defeated Ahmad Bazri 3-0 in a domestic 97kg decider on Friday to punch his Zagreb ticket.
Joining Azarpira in the Iranian team are reigning world champion Amirhossein Zare’ (125kg), Olympic silver medalist Rahman Amouzad (65kg), and two-time world champion Kamran Qassempour (86kg), as well as Ali Mo’meni (57kg), Ahmad Mohammadnejad-Javan (61kg), Younes Emami (74kg), and Amirhossein Firouzpour (92kg).
The 70kg and 79kg slots remain up for grabs and will be decided after the final Ranking Series event of the season – starting next Thursday in Budapest– where Abbas Ebrahimzadeh and Sina Khalili (70kg) plus Mahdi Yousefi and Fariborz Babaei (79kg) will have to walk away with the ultimate prize in their respective divisions to stand a chance of a spot at the World Championships.
“Mohammad Nokhodi has entered the 79kg mix, despite being out of action with an injury since his bronze-winning campaign in last October’s World Championships. We also have decent wrestlers competing for the national team spot in the 70kg class,” the Iranian head coach added.