Iran to send freestyle trio to Muhamet Malo tournament
Iran will be represented by three wrestlers in the freestyle competition at the upcoming Muhamet Malo tournament, which is set to begin on February 25 in Tirana, the Iranian Wrestling Federation confirmed on Friday.
The second Ranking Series event of the international season will also serve as the next stage of Iran’s selection process for major events in 2026, including the World Championships in Manama and the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games later in the summer.
Two-time world bronze medalist Younes Emami will compete in the 74kg division in the Albanian capital as he targets a third world medal in Manama. Emami narrowly missed the podium at last year’s World Championships in Zagreb, falling to Slovakia’s Tajmuraz Salkazanov in the bronze-medal bout.
Joining Emami in Tirana will be Mohammad Nokhodi, a five-time world medalist, including two silver medals. Nokhodi will contest the 79kg category, marking his first international appearance since claiming bronze in Zagreb last September.
In the 92kg division, Amirhossein Firouzpour will aim to build on an impressive 2025 campaign. The two-time world U23 champion secured Asian gold in Amman last year before earning a bronze medal on his senior World Championships debut. However, he is likely to face stiff competition from reigning world silver medalist Amanula Gadzhimagomedov, who is entered as a neutral athlete and is considered a strong contender for the title.
Iranian Olympic bronze medalist Amirali Azarpira, who won world silver and Islamic Solidarity Games gold last year, was initially listed in the 97kg entries for the Muhamet Malo event. The Iranian coaching staff, however, opted to reserve him for the Asian Championships in April.
Two-time world silver medalist Amirmohammad Yazdani (74kg) and reigning world U23 champion Mohammad-Mobin Azimi (92kg) have also secured places in Iran’s squad for the Asian Championships in Bishkek.