Two legendary wrestlers, including Iran's first Olympic gold medalist, pass away
Prominent Iranian super-heavyweight wrestler Mohammad Reza Soukhtehsaraei and legendary freestyle wrestler Emam-Ali Habibi Goudarzi have passed away at the ages of 76 and 94, respectively, after long and hard-fought battles with diseases.
Soukhtehsaraei, a celebrated figure in Iranian wrestling, won silver medals at the 1978 World Wrestling Championships in Mexico City, Mexico, and the 1981 World Wrestling Championships in Skopje, Yugoslavia (present-day North Macedonia).
He hailed from the village of Darkalateh in Ramian County of the northern province of Golestan, and was among Iran’s most decorated athletes in the Asian Games, where he clinched three gold medals and one silver.
He was a three-time flag bearer at the Asian Games and garnered recognition in traditional wrestling. He earned the title Pahlavan of Iran in 1975.
He shared a famous rivalry and friendship with the late Iranian heavyweight freestyle wrestler Alireza Soleimani.
Soukhtehsaraei secured gold in Greco-Roman at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea, whilst Soleimani shone in freestyle.
Soukhtehsaraei’s passing came just a day after the death of Iranian wrestling legend Emam-Ali Habibi.
Habibi rose to prominence in the 1950s, becoming the first Iranian and Muslim athlete to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
Nicknamed “the Tiger of Mazandaran”, he secured three world championships and one Asian Games title throughout his glittering career.
Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Ahmad Donyamali, has expressed condolences following the passing of the renowned Iranian champions.
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