Iran eyes Greco-Roman glory at U17 Worlds after dominant Asian campaign
On the heels of a commanding performance at the Asian Championships, Iran’s U17 Greco-Roman wrestling team is setting its sights on a much tougher prize: Defending its title at the U17 World Championships, which begin on July 27 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Despite a turbulent buildup marked by canceled competitions and the lingering shadow of regional conflict, the Iranian squad was in a class of its own at the Asian Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, this week, collecting eight medals across 10 weight classes. The haul included six gold medals on the opening day of competition.
Armin Esmaeil (45kg), Ali Esmaeili (48kg), Vahid Ashiri (55kg), Amirreza Tahmasbpour (60kg), Amirreza Mehri (92kg), and Ali-Akbar Akoo (110kg) captured gold for Iran. Esmaeil Zaherdoust claimed silver in the 71kg category, while Mahdi Gholamian took bronze at 80kg.
Iran topped the team standings with 205 points, finishing 44 points ahead of runner-up Kyrgyzstan to secure a fifth consecutive Asian title.
Speaking to Mehr News Agency, Iran head coach Mohsen Sourian outlined the obstacles his young wrestlers have overcome and the challenges that lie ahead.
“Our situation was very unusual,” Sourian said. “Due to the wartime situation in the country, we missed a preparatory tournament in Türkiye, while the domestic Rahim Aliabadi Cup was canceled.”
Sourian added that even Iran’s participation in the Asian Championships remained uncertain until shortly before the event.
“Even up to the last minute, our participation in the Asian Championships was uncertain. But thanks to the efforts and follow-up of the federation, the team was ultimately able to attend.”
With no prior international competition to gauge the team’s readiness, the gamble paid off. Still, Sourian believes the medal tally could have been even greater.
“We could have won two or three more gold medals, but some controversial refereeing decisions took that opportunity away from us,” he said.
Nevertheless, the coach expressed satisfaction with the overall performance and the insights gained from the tournament.
“We identified the wrestlers’ strengths and weaknesses, and now we look forward to the World Championships later this summer.”
The upcoming global event, however, presents a significantly tougher challenge, and Sourian is under no illusions about the task facing his team.
“Our entire effort is focused on defending last year’s world title, although we have a very difficult challenge ahead,” he said. “In recent years, Azerbaijan has been one of our closest rivals, and now they will enjoy home advantage at the World Championships. That will make our job considerably harder.”
Adding to the challenge is the return of Russian wrestlers to international competition, further strengthening an already formidable field.
With little time to spare, Sourian outlined a streamlined selection process. The Asian Championships served as the primary – and, in most weight classes, the only – qualifying event for the World Championships.
“The technical committee decided before the Asian Championships that, given the events of the past year and the impact of the war on the country, our only qualifying competition would be the Asian Championships,” he explained.
The plan is to retain the wrestlers who won medals in Da Nang, provided they remain within their weight categories – a significant consideration at the youth level, where athletes can experience rapid physical development. In weight classes where Iran failed to secure a medal, internal trials will determine the final roster.
The national team’s training camps will begin on June 15 and be held in four phases. The first camp will take place in Mazandaran, a northern province renowned for producing wrestling talent. The location of the second camp has yet to be determined, though it is expected to host key selection bouts. The final two camps will be held at Tehran’s Wrestling House before the team departs for Azerbaijan.
“We hope to achieve the best possible result,” Sourian said. “The work ahead is very difficult, but we are ready.”