Iran wrestling team at World Cup
For immediate release
January 11, 2000, (USA Wrestling) -- Iran preliminary lineup features
four World Champions for World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling in Fairfax, Va.,
Feb. 5-6
Iran has announced its preliminary lineup of athletes that will
compete at the World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling to be held at the Patriot
Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Feb. 5-6.
The World Champions on the Iranian squad include 1998 World
Champion Ali Reza Dabir at 127.75 pounds, 1998 World Champion Ali Reza
Heidari at 213.75 pounds, 1997 World Champion Mohammad Talaei at 138.75
pounds and 1993 World Champion Akbar Fallah at 152 pounds.
Dabir also claimed a World silver medal in 1998. He has won
a gold medal at the World Cup the last two years.
Heidari won his 1998 World title at 187.25 pounds. Last year,
he moved up to 213.75 pounds, where he won a World silver medal and claimed
gold medals at the World Cup and the Asian Championships.
Talaie was a World champion at 127.75 pounds in 1977. He moved
up to 138.75 pounds in 1999, and placed sixth at the World Championships.
Fallah won his World title in 1993, and went on to place second
in the 1995 World Championships. He was 10th in the 1996 Olympic Games.
Iran has competed in the United States in wrestling on a regular
basis in recent years. Among the events that Iran has sent teams to compete
in the U.S. were the 1995 World Cup, the 1995 World Championships, the
1996 Olympic Games, the 1998 World Cup, the 1998 Goodwill Games, the 1998
Junior World Freestyle Championships and the 1999 World Cup.
Another veteran star on the Iran roster will be Gholam Reza
Mohammadi at 119 pounds. Mohammadi was a World silver medalist in 1995
and won World bronze medals in 1994 and 1998.
Ali Akhbar Nejad, who placed fourth in the 1992 Olympic Games,
will compete at 152 pounds. Nejad was a 1995 World Military champion and
1994 Asian Games champion.
Pejman Dorostkar, who placed fourth in the 1998 World Championships,
is slated to compete at 167.5 pounds.
Rounding out the Iran roster are Mohammed Ghassemi (119), Bayman
Tayebi (119), Oveis Mallahi (127.75), Ali Akhbar Nejad (152), Majid Mohammadi
(152), Bahram Abedi (167.5), Mehdi Akbar Nejad (167.5), Shahab Ghorbani
(187.25) and Ali Reza Rezaei (286).
Iran was second as a team at the 1999 World Cup in Spokane,
Wash., losing in the championship finals to the host United States. Iran
is considered one of the strongest freestyle wrestling teams in the world,
winning the 1998 World team title and placing fourth in the 1999 World
Championships.
The strongest field in the history of the competition is expected,
with six of the top eight teams at the most recent World Freestyle Wrestling
Championships confirmed to participate. It will certainly be an exciting
preview of the competition at the 2000 Olympic Games.
Along with Iran, the field for the 2000 World Cup includes Russia,
Cuba, Ukraine, Turkey, and the host United States. Each of the teams will
compete against the other nations in dual meet action. In addition, individual
medals will be awarded at each of the eight weight classes.
Four sessions of wrestling will be held. On Saturday, Feb. 5,
session times are 12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 6, session times
are at 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
A variety of ticket price packages are available. The best bargains
are the All-Session Tickets, which cost $99 for Seating A (best locations),
$75 for Seating B and $55 for Seating C. Individual session tickets will
become available on January 15.
For more information, contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at
719-598-8181.
WORLD CUP OF FREESTYLE WRESTLING
Fairfax, Va., Feb. 5-6
Iran World Cup preliminary lineup
54 kg/119 lbs. - Gholam Reza Mohammadi
54 kg/119 lbs. - Mohammed Ghassemi
54 kg/119 lbs. - Bayman Tayebi
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Ali Reza Dabir
58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Oveis Mallahi
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Mohammad Talaei
69 kg/152 lbs. - Akbar Fallah
69 kg/152 lbs. - Ali Akhbar Nejad
69 kg/152 lbs. - Majid Mohammadi
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Pejman Dorostkar
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Bahram Abedi
76 kg/167.5 lbs. - Mehdi Akbar Nejad
85 kg/187.25 lbs. - Shahab Ghorbani
97 kg/213.75 lbs. - Ali Reza Heidari
130 kg/286 lbs. - Ali Reza Rezaei
This release can also be obtained on USA Wrestling's website in the
*Recent Results* area at //www.usawrestling.org
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