Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series:
Iranians bag five Greco-Roman medals, Keshtkar seals Worlds spot
Iran’s Greco-Roman squad finished with five medals, including three golds, at the Ulaanbaatar Open, as Mohammad-Mahdi Keshtkar booked his place in the national team for October’s World Championships after securing silver in the 63kg class at the third Ranking Series event of the international season.
Keshtkar was forced to withdraw from the final showdown against Kyrgyzstan’s Zholaman Sharshenbekov due to a groin injury, having routed the two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist 10-1 when they met in Round 3 of the Nordic bracket earlier on Friday.
Keshtkar’s most significant win, however, came in the second round, where he defeated Asian silver medalist Erfan Jarkani 6-2 in an all-Iranian battle to punch his ticket for the world showcase.
Jarkani, who began his campaign with a criteria loss (1-1) to Sharshenbekov, went on to beat India’s Sunny Kumar by superiority but failed to progress to the semifinals and finished empty-handed.
“Thank God, after nine months away from competition, I made a strong return to action and achieved a decent result,” Keshtkar said, adding: “My victory over renowned Sharshenbekov was extremely valuable for me from a psychological and mental standpoint.”
“I suffered a groin strain in my very first bout, and as the competition progressed, the injury became more apparent, which is why, in coordination with the Wrestling Federation and the national team’s medical staff, I decided not to compete in the final in order to prevent the injury from worsening,” added the Iranian, who will be eager to improve on last year’s world bronze medal.
Elsewhere, Asian bronze medalist Ali Ahmadi-Vafa grabbed gold in the 60kg event, courtesy of a superiority win (10-0) against North Korea’s Ro Yu-chol in the final.
Ro, who won the Asian bronze last year, had no chance against the 21-year-old Iranian, who threw the North Korean for two four-point throws from par terre to accumulate nine points, before a lost challenge from Ro added the final point.
Ahmadi-Vafa will look to add a senior Worlds medal to his 2024 junior and U23 world golds, as well as the U17 title he won in 2022.
Friday’s results came after Danial Sohrabi had booked his world spot thanks to a comeback 8-5 victory over fellow Iranian Mohammad-Javad Rezaei in a thrilling 72kg final the previous day in the Mongolian capital.
“My entire focus will now be on putting behind the disappointment of last year and achieving the best possible result for my country at the World Championships,” said Sohrabi, who suffered a controversial quarterfinal setback against French wrestler Ibrahim Ghanem before rebounding to claim a consolation bronze at the 2025 Worlds in Zagreb.
“Competing against talented Iranian wrestlers is always more challenging for me than international competition. Mohammad-Javad has always been a formidable opponent, while at the same time being a close friend of mine.”
Sohrabi also referred to the symbolic message displayed on his singlet.
“The phrase ‘Autism Is Not Alone’ reflects my commitment to supporting children with autism. My goal was to be a voice for these children, and I remain steadfast in that commitment.”
The Iranian national team wrestler in the 72kg division concluded: “I competed in this tournament at only 40–50 percent of my fitness. Starting today, I am beginning a new phase of preparation for the world showcase.”
Payam Ahmadi, meanwhile, enjoyed an emphatic run to the top podium in the 55kg class, throwing down the gauntlet to his opponents ahead of the World Championships – including Georgia’s Vakhtang Lolua, who defeated Ahmadi in the final in Zagreb.
The 20-year-old Iranian – a winner of junior world and Asian golds last year – outscored his opponents 33-0 across four bouts to claim the gold medal in the Nordic bracket, including a final victory (9-0) over Turkish wrestler Emin Cakir.
With Sohrabi and Keshtkar joining Ahmadi-Vafa, Ahmadi, reigning world and Olympic champions Saeid Esmaeili (67kg) and Mohammad-Hadi Saravi (97kg), Asian silver medalist Ali Oskou (77kg), world champion Gholamreza Farrokhi (82kg), and Alireza Mohmadi (87kg) – who has won consecutive world silver medals on either side of his Olympic silver at Paris 2024 – in the Iranian Greco-Roman squad for the Wrestling Worlds, the remaining spot up for grabs will be decided through a highly anticipated 130kg showdown between Amin Mirzazadeh and Fardin Hedayati at the International Takhti Cup, which begins on June 15 in Kerman.
Two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Mirzazadeh will need a victory in a best-of-three contest against Hedayati, who is aiming for a breakthrough at senior level, having already collected three world titles across the U23 and junior age groups.