Behzad Vahdani
Iranian judoka
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Behzad Vahdani was born on 29 May 1988 in Kolab Village, Bojnord, North Khorasan Province, Iran.[1] He is the champion of the Kurash in the world.[2] He is an Iranian judoka and former member of the Kurash national team of Iran. He won a gold medal in Kurash field on 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.[3] In October 2019, Arash Miresmaeili (President of the Iranian Judo Federation) was selected Behzad Vahdani as the coach of the national adolescents Judo team.[4]
Iran| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National team | Iran | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 29, 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Kolab Village, Bojnord | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Coach of Iranian Judo adolescents Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 66 kg (146 lb) (2018) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Iran | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Judo, Kurash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight class | minus 66 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Iranian national Kurash team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Majid Ariayi, Reza Mahnan, Arash Miresmaeili | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Life
Behzad Vahdani, is an athlete from the village of Kalab, a Bojnord suburb of Khorasan province, Iran, is the last child of a large family. He has been practicing since he was 9 years old.[5] He initially worked in freestyle wrestling given that his uncles and brothers were traditional wrestling athletes.[5][6] From the age of 12, he started Judo and Kurash and from the age of 18 he entered the professional sport.[1] In the second decade of his life, he became a member of the Iranian Judo and Kurash national teams. He was selected as "Top Young" in his province and the top judoist in the country's premier league.[5]
He was a member of the national Judo team at the beginning and practicing Kurash at the same time, but later he decided to pursue his professional career in Kurash.[5]
He said about Judo: "Judo learned me discipline and respect to others."[5]
In Jakarta Palembang 2018 Asian Games, he said "this may be my last time in the world of professional sports".[5]
Career
Iran Kurash national team
He won the gold medal at the minus 60 kg weight class as a member of the Iranian national team of Kurash in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan.[7]
Olympic Gold in Martial Arts of South Korea
He won a gold medal at the World Martial Arts Masterships in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea.[8][9]
Kurash World Championship in Turkey
He won a gold medal in these competitions in 2013.[2]
Coach of the national adolescents Judo team
In October 2019, he was appointed as coach of the national adolescents Judo team by Arash Miresmaeili (President of the Iranian Judo Federation).[4]
World Cup and Grand Slam competitions
Behzad Vahdani withdrew from competing with his Israeli opponent in the World Cup and Grand Slam matches in 2012 and 2016.[6] He tells about it: "Twice in the World Cup in Georgia, when I encountered an opponent of the Zionist regime, I withdrew from the match because I do not legalize Israel as a country. One of the principles of heros culture has always been in defense of the oppressed people and I quit the race to support the oppressed Palestinian people."[1]
Honors
- Gold at the World Championships in Turkey in Kurash field in 2013[2]
- Gold medal at World Martial Arts Masterships in South Korea in Kurash field in 2016[8][9]
- Gold medal at 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan in Kurash field[10]
- Bronze medal at World Armies Championships in Kazakhstan in Judo field in 2013[8]
- Bronze medal at Uzbekistan Kurash Cup in 2011[1][5]
- Bronze medal at 10th Kurash World Championship of Adult Tournament in Turkey in 2017[11]
- North African International Championships Vice Hero[6][5]
- More than 20 medals in the national youth and adolescents competitions[6][5]
- Third place in the forty-first round of the judo championship in the weight category minus 60 kg in October 2016[12]