Iranian Greco-Roman wrestlers with hearing impairments have clinched eight medals at the 5th edition of World Deaf Cadet and Junior Greco-Roman & Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Kyrgyzstan, and finished as the overall vice champion of the event.
On Wednesday, Seyyed Sadeq Aboulvafaei faced a tough challenge in the final contest of the 60-kilogram weight class against a Turkish opponent, ultimately securing the silver medal with a 0-9 loss.
Shahab Rahimi, competing in the 67-kilogram category, battled a representative from the host nation in the last bout and earned another silver medal for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Shirzad could also pocket a bronze medal in the 87-kilogram division.
Earlier in the competitions, Mahdi Bakhshi defeated a Turkish rival 8-5 and won the gold medal in the 63-kilogram weight class
Ali Karimi lost to a Kyrgyz contestant 5-7 in the final contest of the 72-kilogram weight division, and received a silver medal.
Ali Vatanparast, Reza Esmaeili and Mohammad Reza Sha’bani could also snatch bronze medals in the 55-kilogram, 82-kilogram and 97-kilogram weight classes respectively.
The Turkish men’s Greco-Roman wrestling team was named the top-ranked squad. Kazakh wrestlers claimed the third place.
The 5th edition of World Deaf Cadet and Junior Greco-Roman & Freestyle Wrestling Championships started in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 2, and will run through September 12, 2023.
The international tournament has brought together 89 male and female wrestlers from eleven countries, including Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkey, the United States and Uzbekistan.