Amir Hossein Abbas Zare draws strength from his zurkhaneh (a traditional Iranian gymnasium) roots in Iran’s storied wrestling culture. As he once put it, “Zurkhanehs have a spiritual atmosphere. It is in the gym that the athlete’s soul and body are polished at the same time.” In 2019, at just 18, he burst onto the senior scene undefeated in Iran’s Premier League, toppled Asian champion Yadollah Mohebbi. He built on those early triumphs with Olympic gold in Tokyo and Paris, plus world and Asian titles, always wrestling with fierce pride for Iran. Even now, when damage struck Tehran’s Azadi Indoor Stadium, Iranian wrestling’s vital hub, Zare shrugged off the chaos and grabbed another medal.

On 13 April at the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships, the men’s freestyle 125kg final brought Zare, who entered 2026 with an impressive record as having suffered only three defeats since 2019, face-to-face with Bahrain’s Shamil Sharipov. Both wrestlers stayed focused initially on defense rather than taking early risks. But in the closing stages, Zare extended his lead and finished 4-0 to claim the gold medal in the 125kg freestyle bracket in Bishkek.

After winning, her said, “I know whenever I fight, the people of my country support me. That is what gives me strength. For me, lifting the flag is the least I can do,” he says. Interestingly, this was also his fifth straight win over the same opponent in two years.

Zare also spoke about the emotional weight of the moment, “This gold medal is 100 per cent the most emotional one for me. I was able to win this despite the situation my country is in.”

However, the victory also came with physical challenges. In the weeks leading up to the competition, he was battling a severe cold infection that left him physically drained. He lost seven kilograms during that period and, just days before the event, struggled to complete even an hour of training. Even so, he managed to push through and deliver when it mattered most. But Zare was not the only one who made Iran proud in Bishkek.

Iran continues in strong form in the lower Weight classes

At the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships, in the 86kg division, Kamran Ghasempour, the Iranian freestyle wrestler who usually competes at 92kg, delivered a dominant performance in his first Asian appearance at this weight. After receiving a first-round bye, he made a strong start with a 12-2 win over Japan’s Yudai Takahashi, followed by an even more 11-0 victory against his Turkmen opponent to reach the final.

Then, in the gold medal bout, Ghasempour stayed in full control against India’s Mukhul Dahiya, producing a composed 7-0 win to secure the title. It marked his first Asian gold in the 86kg category. After the victory, he said, “My aim is to keep this path strong through the 2026 World Championships and finish the year on top, setting the stage for the 2028 Olympics.”

Even in the 92kg category, Mohammadmobin Azimi also put together an impressive run. After a first-round bye, he opened with a 9-0 win over Japan’s Takahashi Ishiguro, followed by a solid 6-0 victory against Kazakhstan’s Azamat Dauletbekov to move into the final.

Azimi carried that same rhythm into the gold medal match against Bahrain’s Magomed Sharipov and won by 11-0 to secure the title and add another gold medal to Iran’s tally at the championships.