Iranian wrestlers welcomed by fans in Los Angeles
Call it wrestling diplomacy, rivalry, or friendship, but an all powerful Iranian team arrived in Los Angeles today (Persian news link) to defend their world freestyle championship - a title earned last year in the same city after defeating both the United States and Russia (seen in picture below). USA Wrestling will host the 2015 Senior Men's Freestyle World Cup on April 11-12 at the newly renovated FORUM in Inglewood, CA (event link).
The Iran team will be led by 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Komeil Ghasemi at 125 kg/275 lbs. Ghasemi was the 2014 Asian champion, second in the 2011 Asian Championship and second in the 2014 World Championship. Two-time World champion Reza Yazdani is expected to compete at 97 kg/213 lbs. Yazdani is a two-time World bronze medalist, fifth in the 2012 Olympic Games and a 2008 Olympian.
World silver medalist Masoud Esmailpourjouybari is on the roster at 65 kg/145 lbs. Esmailpourjouybari was the 2013 and 2014 World Cup champion, and placed seventh in the 2012 Olympic Games. 2013 World champion Hassan Rahimi is on the team at 57 kg/125 lbs. Rahimi is a two-time World bronze medalist, 2014 Asian champion, 2014 World Cup champion and placed eighth in the 2012 Olympic Games.
World silver medalist Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi is expected to compete at 65 kg/145 lbs. Mohammadi was the 2014 Asian champion, third in the 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran) and third in the 2014 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland).
With an estimated one million Iranian Americans, California is now home to the largest population of Iranians in diaspora, who have, regardless of their political backgrounds, historically supported Iranian teams visiting the United States. So expect loud and cheerful crowds again in the FORUM this year rooting for the Iranian team and making them feel right at home.
This year, Pangea Sports Management (PSM), in association with Kodoom and Ti (formerly Tapesh) TV, have secured a premium "Iranian Fan Zone" area at the FORUM with tickets available online on this site (Link to Exclusive Discounted Premium Tickets). These seats are among the best in the FORUM and making them available to Iranian/Persian fans will leverage the energetic atmosphere these fans are known for.
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