National Greco-Roman Senior Championships:
Iranian wrestlers begin quest for World Championships spots
The race for a place at next year’s World Championships kicked off with the opening phase of the Iranian trials at the National Greco-Roman Senior Championships in Ahvaz.
The final day of the competition saw Mohammad Alghousi demolish Soroush Ranjbar 10-0 in the 130kg final, while four-time Asian gold medalist Nasser Alizadeh defeated Amirreza Moradian 3-1 for the ultimate prize in the 97kg class.
Mohammad-Amin Hosseini bagged the 82kg gold, defeating Mohammad Arjmand 6-5 in the final showdown, with Mohammd-Javad Rezaei claiming the 72kg title with a 3-1 final win against Omid Bahmani.
Mohammad Kamali outclassed Mohammad Eskandari 10-2 to grab the 67kg gold.
On Thursday, 2021 world champion Meisam Dalkhani produce a statement run in the 63kg class, throwing down the gauntlet to his compatriots — including reigning world bronze medalist Mohammad-Mahdi Keshtkar — in the battle for a world spot in Manama.
Dalkhani, also a former world U23 champion and Asian silver medalist, capped his emphatic campaign with an 8-0 superiority victory over Reza Bahmani in the final.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Hosseinvand Panahi edged Mohammadreza Tavakkolian 4-3 in a thrilling 55kg final, while in the 60kg event, 2020 Asian champion Pouya Nasserpour defeated Mohammad Ashiri 7-3 to claim the gold medal, while former world junior and cadet gold medalist Amirreza Dehbozorgi rebounded from a semifinal setback to secure a consolation bronze medal alongside Milad Rezanejad.
Ali Oskou, a world U23 bronze medalist last year, defeated 2024 world U17 champion Amir-Mahdi Saeidi Nava 6-5 to capture gold in the 77kg division.
Aliasghar Samdaliri defeated Asian Games silver medalist Amin Kavianinejad 3-1 to win one of the bronze medals, alongside reigning Asian champion Mohammad Naqousi, who beat Aref Habibollahi 7-1 in the other third-place bout.
Behrouz Hedayat emerged as the surprise gold medalist in the 87kg category, thanks to a 3-1 victory over Mohammad-Hossein Ostad Mohammad in the final.