Iranian wrestlers faced rivals on the first day of the 12th edition of World University Wrestling Championship underway in Turkey’s Çorum and brought home one bronze and three gold medals.
At 57-kilogram weight category, Younes Sarmasti of Iran secured a place in the finals after quelling Canadian, Russian and Kazakh rivals. He had to overcome the junior world champion Ahmet Peker of Turkey with technical fall in order to win the first title for the Iranian caravan.
Reza Afzali, who represented Iran at 74kg division trounced rivals from Kazakhstan, Finland and Turkey on road to the finals. Afzali clinched goal after he got the better of a Polish freestyler in the final showdown.
Iran’s third title winner was Amir Mohammadi who downed Belarussian and Moldavian contestants at the first two rounds of 97kg weight class. In the finals, a Russian freestyler suffered a defeat in the hands of Iran’s Mohammadi who stood on top of the podium.
Despite a sweeping victory over representative of Hungary, Meysam Heidari (65kg) of Iran was led to the losers’ group after conceding a defeat against a Kazakh opponent. Later, Heidari found a place in the repechage round and pulled out a 10-0 victory over another Hungarian wrestler to bag a bronze medal.
The international sportive event is scheduled to be hosted by Hittite University in Turkey’s Çorum from October 25 to October 30.
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