Iran set for U23 Wrestling Worlds after US issues visas to delegation
Iran is set to compete at the upcoming U23 Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas after the United States issued entry visas to all but one member of the country’s 38-strong delegation, Iranian sports news website Varzesh3, citing the national governing body of the sport, reported on Tuesday.
The ninth edition of the annual showpiece will kick off on Monday, with Iran – represented by 20 wrestlers – looking to repeat its 2024 freestyle team title, having finished runner-up to the United States last year, while chasing a fifth Greco-Roman crown – and third in a row – in seven years.
Alireza Dabir, the chairman of the Iranian Wrestling Federation, said last month that the country would withdraw from the event “if even one member of the delegation is denied a US visa.”
One of the Iranian coaches is yet to be granted a visa “due to incomplete documents,” but the host country is making efforts to issue his visa within the next 48 hours, Varzesh3 wrote.
Abolfazl Mohammadnejad will headline the Iranian freestyle squad in Las Vegas, entering the 125kg event as the defending champion and fresh off a gold medal at the U20 Worlds in Bratislava, Slovakia, in August.
Mobin Azimi, who won the 92kg gold at last year’s edition as well as the Asian Senior Championships in April, will be among the favorites in the 97kg class.
Abolfazl Rahmani will compete in the 92kg class, looking to improve on his U20 world silver in the Slovakian capital, while Reza Afshar will be part of the 86kg division.
Mahdi Yousefi will chase a third medal at the competition, having won gold in 2024 before settling for bronze last year, when he gets his campaign underway in the 79kg category.
Ali Karampour, a world U20 bronze medalist in 2024, will be the Iranian wrestler in the 74kg class, while Ebrahim Elahi (70kg) will vie for the third world age-group medal of his career, having won U17 gold in 2022 plus U20 bronze last year.
Ahoura Khateri will be among the wrestlers to watch in the 65kg class, following his two bronzes at the U20 Worlds and the Ranking Series event in Ulaanbaatar earlier this year.
Ebrahim Khari (61kg) – a bronze medalist at the 2024 edition – and Ali Yahyapour (57kg) complete the Iranian freestyle roster in Las Vegas.
In the Greco-Roman competition, Armin Shamsipour will be a hopeful in the 55kg class after he bagged an impressive gold medal in Bratislava, while Morad Ashiri will be an unheralded competitor in the 60kg class.
Erfan Jarkani (63kg) will go after his third medal of the international season to add to his Zagreb Open gold and the Asian Championships silver at senior level.
Mohammad Kamali will compete in the 67kg class, with Ahmadreza Mohsennejad entering the 72kg contest as the reigning senior Asian bronze medalist.
Former world U17 and U20 silver medalist Ahoura Boveiri will represent the Iranian squad in the 77kg class, while 17-year-old Abolfazl Mohmadi will take part in the 82kg division.
Yasin Yazdi will fancy his chances in the 87kg class after winning an impressive silver at last year’s Asian Senior Championships, with Mohammad-Hadi Seydi looking to build on his bronze at February’s Zagreb Open Ranking Series event.
Abolfazl Fat’hi – an U20 world bronze medalist last year – completes the Iranian GR squad in the 130kg class.
Iranian sport has struggled with entry visa complications for international tournaments in recent years, especially since a military conflict between Iran and a US-Israeli coalition began on February 28.
The Iranian wrestling squad missed out on the 2023 U23 Worlds in Tirana, Albania, due to the same issue, while members of the national team’s support staff were prevented from entering the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June.
In the latest development, Iran’s men’s wheelchair basketball team had to withdraw from the IWBF World Championships in Ottawa earlier this month after host Canada refused to issue entry visas to head coach Behrouz Soltani and his assistant, Mohammadreza Dastyar.