Abolfazl Rahmani captured the 92-kilogram freestyle title by defeating Russia’s Arslan Bagaev 5-2 in the final, securing Iran’s first gold medal in the freestyle competition.
Yet his victory carried a message beyond the wrestling mat, as he dedicated his medal to the children of Minab, emphasizing their innocence and the tragedy of their deaths.
“We fight like soldiers for the people of Iran,” Rahmani said to Iranian reporters. “I dedicate my medal to the angels of Minab, the children who were completely innocent.”
Meanwhile, Abolfazl Mohammadnejad secured Iran’s second gold medal in the 125-kilogram division with a commanding 10-0 victory over Georgia’s Abramishvili in the final.
Mohammadnejad completed the tournament without conceding a single point, defeating opponents from Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan before his emphatic victory in the final.
In his post-match remarks, he dedicated his achievement to the Iranian people, who he said had endured difficult days, and to the children martyred at the school in Minab.
He expressed hope that his gold medal would bring happiness to people across Iran, even if only for a moment, and put a smile on their faces.
Iran also secured three bronze medals. Ebrahim Khavari defeated Romania’s Wizenhunt 12-0 in the 61-kilogram division, Ali Kermpour beat Moldova’s Ion Marco 10-0 at 74 kilograms, and Reza Afshar defeated Moldova’s Mihalchan 6-0 at 86 kilograms.
The tragedy in Minab has also drawn international scrutiny. On February 28, a strike hit Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School while children were attending classes. The attack killed at least 168 people, including around 123 children.
On September 17, the United Nations’ Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said it had found “reasonable grounds” to believe that the United States committed the war crime of launching an indiscriminate attack resulting in civilian deaths, injuries or damage to civilian objects. The findings placed renewed international scrutiny on the US military operation and the failure to protect children at the school.