Iranian wrestlers doubtful for Zagreb Open over visa issue
Iranian wrestlers may be ruled out of the upcoming Zagreb Open due to visa issues, Abdolmahdi Nasirzadeh, the vice president of the Iranian Wrestling Federation, has said.
The opening Ranking Series event of the international season kicks off in the Croatian capital on February 4. However, the visa process for members of the Iranian freestyle and Greco-Roman squads has been hampered by an ongoing internet shutdown in the country, casting doubt on their participation.
The Iranian government cut off internet services on 8 January for security reasons amid recent domestic unrest.
“The Wrestling Federation has made all necessary arrangements for sending the wrestlers and submitted the documents for 22 wrestlers to the Croatian embassy earlier this month,” Nasirzadeh told Mehr News Agency.
“The federation was informed that due to the internet shutdown, the Iranian teams may not be able to be dispatched to the Ranking Series event,” added Nasirzadeh, though he remained optimistic that ongoing follow-ups with the Iranian Foreign Ministry would resolve the problem in the coming days.
Absence from the tournament would be a massive blow for Iranian head coaches Hassan Rangraz and Pejman Dorostkar, as the event serves as a significant part of the Iranian trials for April’s Asian Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as well as for the World Championships in Manama and the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in September.
“We are making every effort to make sure the wrestlers go to Zagreb. Wrestling has always spearheaded Iranian sport on the global stage, and we will try to utilize the country’s sports diplomacy apparatus to resolve the issue,” Nasirzadeh said.