Iran Crowned Champion at Asian Pahlavani Wrestling Championships
WANA (Oct 10) – Iran’s national Pahlavani wrestling team has claimed the overall title at the 7th Asian Zurkhaneh Sports and Pahlavani Wrestling Championships, winning four gold medals and one silver to secure first place in the continental competition.
The tournament, hosted in the Al-Ghadir Sports Complex in the northwestern city of Urmia, Iran, began on Wednesday and concluded on Friday, featuring 180 athletes from 17 Asian countries including Iraq, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Nepal, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Iran Dominates Finals, Najafi Named “Pahlavan of Asia”
All five Iranian wrestlers reached the finals of their respective weight categories. In the heavyweight division (+90 kg), Mostafa Najafi defeated Muntazar Ahmad Salman of Iraq by technical fall, earning the gold medal and the honorary title of “Pahlavan of Asia” — a traditional Persian title meaning the champion of champions.
India’s Iyash defeated Iran’s Rahman Rahimpour in the 70 kg final, preventing a complete Iranian sweep.
Individual Results
60 kg: Mehdi Veisi (Iran) defeated Sarina (India) — technical fall
70 kg: Iyash (India) defeated Rahman Rahimpour (Iran) — technical fall
80 kg: Abdollah Sheikh-Azami (Iran) defeated Adalat Muradbaev (Kyrgyzstan) — technical fall
90 kg: Alireza Sahraei (Iran) defeated Okurbayev (Kyrgyzstan) — technical fall
+90 kg: Mostafa Najafi (Iran) defeated Muntazar Ahmad Salman (Iraq) — technical fall
With these results, Iran claimed four gold medals and one silver, finishing atop the team standings at the 2025 Asian Championships.
Pahlavani wrestling — rooted in Iran’s ancient Zurkhaneh (House of Strength) tradition — combines athleticism with moral and spiritual principles, and is recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Iran Crowned Champion at Asian Pahlavani Wrestling Championships. Social media / WANA News Agency
