Two-time world champion Reza YAZDANI (IRI) dominated the 97kg weight category Thursday at 36th annual Takhti Cup. Yazdani went undefeated in the tournament though local opponent Amir MOHAMMADI (IRI) proved a strong rival for him during their the finals matchup.

“I had flu before the tournament so I wasn’t in top form. I am not satisfied about my performance in the final match but I finished with gold medal.” said Yazdani after his 7-4 victory in the final match.

“I will train hard in national team camp. I missed 2012 Olympic gold medal due to injury so I have aimed to achieve gold medal at Rio Olympics.” He added.

All of first day gold medals of Takhti Cup went to Iranians as they compete to find spot in the Iranian team trials for the Olympic Games. In addition to several bronze and silver medal performances, 2014 Asian Games champions Parviz HADI and Mehdi ALIYARI captured gold for Iran in first day of the tournament.

In absence of Olympic bronze medalist Komeil GHASEMI, Hadi dominated at 125kg, defeating Yadollah MOHEBBI (4-0) in the final match. Yadollah’s father, Mohammad Hassan MOHEBBI was former world silver and bronze medalist who had won six Asian gold medals in 80s.    

In Greco-Roman, Asian Games gold medalist Mehdi ALIYARI beat Davoud GILNEYRANG to win 98kg gold medal, as his younger brother Majid ALIYARI placed third.

Rafik MANUKYAN (ARM) was the only non-Iranian wrestler who took gold medal at Takhti Cup. The former world junior champion won title at 80kg, defeating Iranian Mehdi FALLAH in the final match.

The traditional wrestling of Iran ‘Pahlavani’ was part of the Takhti Cup and the best wrestlers in 70kg and +90kg grabbed prize money with champions earning $5000. Iranians ELAHIAN (70kg) and MIRZAPOUR (+90kg) achieved gold medals of Pahlavani traditional wrestling style.

Who is the late Gholamreza Takhti?

Gholamreza Takhti is arguably Iran’s most popular and best-known athlete. Takhti is still a hero to many Iranians across the world. He won Iran’s first-ever gold medal in Olympics but mysteriously died on January 7th 1968, when he was only 37.  Despite the fact that there are dozens of Iranian athletes that have won more international medals than Takhti, the wrestler’s chivalrous behavior and sportsmanship on the mat has made him one of the Iran’s most popular athletes.

 

Takhti's world and Olympics titles:
1956 Olympics (Gold)
1952 Olympics (Silver)
1960 Olympics (Silver)
1959 World Championships (Gold)
1961 World Championships (Gold)
1951 World Championships (Silver)
1962 World Championships (Silver)

Freestyle

65kg
Gold- Meysam NASIRI (IRI) df. Meysam HEYDARI (IRI), 5-1
Bronze- Morteza GHIYASI (IRI) df. Artur BAGHDASARYAN (ARM), 4-2
Bronze- Surkho RASHYTKHANAU (BLR) df. Reza ABDOLLAHPOUR (IRI), 12-11

70kg
Gold- Mohammad NADERI (IRI) df. Saeid DADASHPOUR (IRI), 4-0
Bronze- Ali Asghar JEBELI (IRI) TF. Abumuslim RADZHABOV (TJK), 10-0
Bronze- Hamed RASHIDI (IRI) df. Masoud KAMARVAND (IRI)

97kg
Gold- Reza YAZDANI (IRI) df. Amir MOHAMMADI (IRI), 7-4
Bronze- Esmaeil NEJATIAN (IRI) df. Rustam ISKANDARI (TJK), 3-1

125kg
Gold- Parviz HADI (IRI) df. Yadollah MOHEBBI (IRI), 4-0
Bronze- Jafar SHAMS NATERI (IRI) TF. Amin TAHERI (IRI), 11-0
Bronze- Mohammadreza AZARSHAKIB (IRI) df. Jaber SADEGHZADEH (IRI), 1-1
Second day results

Freestyle

57kg
Gold- Younes SARMASTI (IRI) df. Reza ATARI (IRI), 7-1
Bronze- Mirjalal HASANZADA (AZE) df. Mohammad TAHMASEBI (IRI), 3-2
Bronze- Omid JALALI BAHAR (IRI) df. Mehran REZAZADEH (IRI) by forfeit

61kg
Gold- Behnam EHSANPOUR (IRI) df. Mehran SHEIKHI (IRI), 3-1
Bronze- Artak HOVHANNISYAN (ARM) df. Methouthi CHEDLI (TUN), 9-0
Bronze- Mehran NASIRI (IRI) df. Arash DANGESARAKI (IRI), 7-0

74kg
Gold- Mostafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) df. Gia CHYKHLADZE (UKR), 8-0
Bronze- Peyman YARAHMADI (IRI) df. Bahman TEYMOURI (IRI), 6-0
Bronze- Ahmad JAFAKESH (IRI) df. Amin AZIZOV (AZE), by forfeit

86kg
Gold- Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) df. Reza BAYAT (IRI), 5-3
Bronze- Mojtaba GOLEIJ (IRI) TF. Gergely GYURITS (HUN), 11-0
Bronze- Meysam MOSTAFA JOKAR (IRI) df. Amarhajy MAHAMEDAU (BLR), 4-2
Pahlavani Wrestling

70kg
Gold- Hamid ELAHIAN (IRI) df. Mohammad NADERI (IRI), 6-4
Bronze- Vahid GHAHREMANI (IRI) pinned Vahid MARYAMINASAB (IRI)
Bronze- Omid KHEDMATI (IRI) df. Mohammad MOTAGHINIA (IRI), 2-0

+ 90kg
Gold- Ahmad MIRZAPOUR (IRI) pinned Alexe NIKOLAEV (BLR)
Bronze- Abdolah GHOMI (IRI) pinned Ashkan MARDANI (IRI)
Bronze- Igor XHERESHENKOV (RUS) df. Sina KHALILZZADEH (IRI), 4-2