Iran adds two more gold medals at 2026 World Nomad Games
Iran claimed two more gold medals at the 2026 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan, with Sajjad Soltani-Nejad winning the strongman competition and Mostafa Najafi taking the men’s +100-kilogram Gyulesh title.
Soltani-Nejad secured the strongman gold after three days of competition. He overcame a series of demanding strength events to finish first overall on Friday.
The Iranian’s victory came in one of the strength disciplines featured at the sixth World Nomad Games. The 2026 program includes traditional strength sports such as strongman, mas-wrestling, armwrestling and tug of war.
🥇Sultani-Nejad Crowned World’s Strongest Man at Nomadic Games
— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) September 4, 2026
Iranian strongman Sajjad Sultani-Nejad claimed the gold medal at the Strongest Man competition of the 2026 World Rural and Nomadic Games in Kyrgyzstan.@presstvsports pic.twitter.com/MFxJxbJiNu
Najafi then added another gold for Iran in Gyulesh (also spelled as Gulesh), a traditional style of wrestling.
In the final of the men’s +100kg category, Najafi defeated Azerbaijan’s representative 6-1 to take the title. He had earlier beaten opponents from the United States, India, Bulgaria and Azerbaijan on his way to the final.
Gyulesh wrestlers compete in specially tailored loose trousers and can use grips on the body, legs, belt and trousers. Throws and trips are permitted, while victory can come through a two-shoulder pin or a superior number of successful techniques.
The two victories strengthened Iran’s medal haul at the Games. Before the latest two golds, Iran had collected 10 medals, as of Thursday. Its first gold came through Reza Gheitasi in mas-wrestling.
Iran also had four silver medals. Sadegh Azarang won silver in kurash, while Mohsen Mirzaei took silver in right-hand armwrestling. Iran’s four-member tug-of-war team also finished second. The team consisted of Nader Kazemi, Sajjad Jafari Gohari, Abbas Azimi and Hamidreza Saeed.
‼️Iran’s medal tally at Nomad Games 2026
— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) September 3, 2026
Iran’s delegation has won 10 medals by the end of Day 3 of the 2026 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan:
🥇 1 Gold
🥈 3 Silver
🥉 6 Bronze@presstvsports pic.twitter.com/0RnJCLuXar
Iranian athletes had also won several bronze medals.
Maryam Farahani-Nia took bronze in mas-wrestling, while Abolfazl Heydari-Mehr finished third in Alysh. Mohaddeseh Tabarak won bronze in both right- and left-hand armwrestling.
Amirreza Sahraei claimed bronze in Kurash Seriym, while Hassan Poladi took third place in the men’s under-64kg Sambo competition.
The sixth World Nomad Games are being held in Kyrgyzstan from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6. The opening ceremony took place in Bishkek, while competitions are being staged mainly around Lake Issyk-Kul, including in Cholpon-Ata and Kyrchyn Gorge.
The event brings together athletes from 104 countries and focuses on traditional sports and cultural practices associated with nomadic peoples.
The Games were launched in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, with the 2026 edition marking their return to the country after the 2022 Games in Turkey and the 2024 edition in Kazakhstan.
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