Javan faces World Championships omission over weight concerns
Iranian freestyle wrestler Ahmad Mohammadnejad Javan has been given a final deadline to resolve his weight issues or risk being dropped from the national team camp ahead of the upcoming World Championships, which will kick off Oct. 24 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Javan, who was selected for the 61kg spot through the national team selection cycle after winning a second successive bronze at the Asian Championships in April, was reportedly found to weigh 68.5 kilograms at the latest weigh-in at the national camp – around 7.5kg above the category limit.
The former world junior and U23 bronze medalist impressed on his senior Worlds debut last year by winning silver, falling short against Russian sensation Zavur Uguev in the final, and has been considered one of Iran’s leading medal contenders for this year’s global event. His weight, however, has now cast doubt over his participation.
“Our intention is not to dismiss Javan,” Iran head coach Pejman Dorostkar said on Sunday. “In the previous camp, he was not in suitable condition for a 61kg wrestler. We held a meeting with his personal coach and the team’s nutritionist and discussed training and sports nutrition with him.
“We expected Javan to reach his ideal weight in this camp, but unfortunately, he did not follow the recommendations.”
Dorostkar added that Javan had effectively received a final warning and would be given until the end of the current camp to improve his condition.
Alireza Dabir, chairman of the Iranian Wrestling Federation, subsequently confirmed that the wrestler had not yet been removed but said the situation was serious.
“He has not been cut yet, but I saw that the national team coaching staff and Pejman Dorostkar took a commitment from him yesterday,” Dabir told reporters. “Yes, his weight is high. Even when he wrestled at 57kg, I would not allow him into the camp because of his weight.”
Dabir said Javan had been given approximately one week to make significant progress.
“He has given a commitment, and if he does not reduce his weight quickly, he will be dismissed from the national team camp within a week,” Dabir said. “We will make no exceptions in this regard, and we already have a replacement for Javan.”