Iranian GR team arrives in Bishkek ahead of Asian Ch’ships
The Iranian Greco-Roman squad arrived in Bishkek on Friday ahead of the upcoming Asian Wrestling Championships, which will kick off in the Kyrgyz capital on Monday.
The Iranian team held its first training session on Friday afternoon, following an exhausting road trip to get out of the country amid flight cancellations due to the ongoing war in the region.
The 10-man squad will still be the favourite to lift the team trophy after a glorious international season last year, in which the country completed a clean sweep of four world team titles across different age classes.
Head coach Hassan Rangraz has named a mix of youth and experience for the showpiece, with world and Olympic champion Mohammad-Hadi Saravi (97kg) spearheading the roster.
Amin Mirzazadeh will be the wrestler to beat in the 130kg class, stepping into the event as the reigning two-time world gold medalist.
Gholamreza Farrokhi (87kg) will look to pick up where he left off in the 2025 season, where he won four golds at international tournaments, including the top prize on his Senior World Championships debut last September.
Farrokhi also claimed gold at the Zagreb Open, the Islamic Solidarity Games, and the U23 World Championships last year before being named the Greco-Roman Breakout Performer of the Year by the United World Wrestling.
Joining the trio in the Iranian squad are Mohammad Hosseinvand Panahi (55kg), Ali Ahmadi Vafa (60kg), Erfan Jarkani (63kg), Ahmadreza Mohsennejad (67kg), Mohammad-Javad Rezaei (72kg), Ali Oskou (77kg), and Mohammad-Amin Hosseini (82kg).
The tournament will also serve as part of the Iranian team selection process for the World Championships and the Asian Games later in the summer.