Iran FS coach Dorostkar pleased with ‘top-notch’ National Ch’ships
Iran head coach Pejman Dorostkar said he was pleased with the “high level of competition and strong participation” at the National Senior Freestyle Championships, which marked the opening phase of the country’s World Championships trials.
Ali Yahyapour (57kg), Reza Momeni (61kg), Peyman Nemati (65kg), Ebrahim Elahi (70kg), Amirmohammad Yazdani (74kg), Mahdi Yousefi (79kg), Ali Savadkouhi (86kg), Abolfazl Rahmani (92kg), Mojtaba Goleij (97kg) and Morteza Janmohammadzadeh (125kg) were crowned champions across the weight classes at the three-day event, which concluded on Friday in Tabriz, staking their claim to a place in Iran’s squad for the upcoming international season, including September’s World Championships in Manama.
“We witnessed some top-notch bouts here, and several young talents emerged as serious contenders for a national team spot,” Dorostkar told the official website of the Iranian Wrestling Federation.
“Apart from the seven medalists from the World Championships, as well as Younes Emami, who won gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games, and Hassan Yazdani, who was exempt after recently returning from an injury layoff, all of the country’s top wrestlers took part in the competition, and the outcomes in some weight categories were nothing like I had expected,” added Dorostkar, who led Iran to the freestyle world team title in Zagreb in September.
“I hope the selection process, which is based on fairness and merit, continues as smoothly as it did in this first stage. The next phase involves participation in international tournaments, where these wrestlers must prove themselves. This will help finalize our team lineup for the Asian Championships, Asian Games, World Championships and U23 World Championships,” he said.
Emphasizing the importance of overseas events, Dorostkar added: “International competitions are a crucial part of the selection cycle. Our criteria are not solely based on domestic results — although domestic competitions are highly important and where contenders make their mark. However, international tournaments carry even greater weight.
“Hopefully, all these wrestlers will be tested step by step throughout the selection cycle until its completion.”
Looking ahead, Dorostkar outlined the team’s upcoming plans: “Our first training camp will most likely be held in mid-January. Our first international outing will be the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey later that month. After that, we have the Zagreb Open and the Yarygin Grand Prix, before the Ranking Series event in Tirana in late February.
“The Asian Championships will be held in early April, and the results from that event, along with the four tournaments mentioned and the remaining stages of the selection cycle, will gradually shape the final national team roster for the major competitions ahead,” Dorostkar explained.