TEHRAN (Iran News) – Busts of eight Olympic Games medal winners as well as a Paralympics medalist were unveiled at the Hall of Fame in Tehran on Tuesday.
Sports and Youths Minister Masoud Soltanifar, Tehran mayor Pirouz Hanachi and Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the Vice President of Iran and Head of the Budget and Planning Organization attended the unveiling ceremony held at the Iran’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Reza Salehi Amiri, head of National Olympic Committee (NOC), and Mahmoud Khosravai Vafa, head of Paralympic Committee were among the attendees.
The busts of a Paralympic medal winner Mohammadreza Mirzaei Jaberi and eight Olympic medalists Mahmoud Namjoo, Mohammadali Khojastehpour, Esmaeil Elmkhah, Aboutaleb Talebi, Ali Mirzaei, Parviz Jalayer, Shamseddin Seyed-Abbasi and Mansour Barzegar were unveiled.
Javelin thrower Mohammadreza Mirzaei Jaberi claimed four gold medals in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games.
Weightlifter Mahmoud Namjoo won a silver medal at 1952 Olympic Games and a bronze medal in the Games four years later. He also claimed three gold medals in world championships.
Mohammadali Khojastehpour seized a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1956 Olympic Games.
Esmaeil Elmkhah claimed a bronze medal in weightlifting at the 1960 Olympic Games.
Freestyle wrestler Aboutaleb Talebi took a bronze at the 19868 Olympic Games.
Ali Mirzaei won a bronze medal in weightlifting in 1952 Olympic Games.
Parviz Jalayer snatches a silver medal in weightlifting at the 1968 Olympic Games.
Wrestler Shamseddin Seyed-Abbasi won a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games. He also claimed a gold medal at the 1970 world championships.
Mansour Barzegar took a silver medal at the 1976 Olympic Games and a gold medal at the 1973 world championships.
A statue of legendary wrestler Gholamreza Takhti was also unveiled at the Hall of Fame.
Popularly nicknamed Jahān Pahlevān – “The World Champion” – because of his chivalrous behavior and sportsmanship, he was the most popular athlete of Iran in the 20th century, although dozens of Iranian athletes have won more international medals than he did.
