According to the Public Relations Office of the National University Sports Federation, the World University Combat Sports Championship concluded with a high level of technical and qualitative standards, solidifying its status as one of the world's most significant student competitions. The participation of 50 countries and over 1,500 athletes from across the globe underscores the event's broad scope and intense competitiveness, making success in these games a remarkable achievement.
The significance of these competitions is further highlighted by the attendance of presidents and technical committee officials from various international sports federations. This presence reflects the prestigious position of these championships within the international university sports calendar and the high stakes of the competition at the global level.
In an arena where the world's top university athletes competed, the "Minab 168" delegation delivered a brilliant performance, securing the world runner-up title in the medal standings with a total of 30 medals: 14 gold, 7 silver, and 9 bronze. This success demonstrates the technical superiority and the physical and mental preparedness of Iranian athletes against formidable global competitors.
Iran's runner-up position is more than just a title; it is the result of meticulous planning, investment in university sports, and the persistent efforts of both athletes and technical staff. Achieving such a high medal count in an event with this level of quality and competitive density reinforces the value of this accomplishment and further cements the standing of Iranian university sports on the international stage.
Our country took second place with 30 medals, while Turkey secured first place with 42 medals. Hong Kong, Brazil (the host nation), Spain, China, Thailand, Canada, France, and the Czech Republic ranked third through tenth, respectively.
The list of "Minab 168" medalists is as follows:
Gold Medals:
Greco-Roman Wrestling: Morteza Al-Ghowsi, Mohammad Kamali, Amirreza Dehbozorgi, Mohammad Naghousi, Mehdi Kamali, and Hojjat Rezaei.
Freestyle Wrestling: Mehdi Rahimi, Mohammad Bakhshi, Adel Panahian, Erfan Alizadeh, Mehdi Veisi, Mohammad Reza Hosseini, and Mohammad Javad Salehi.
Karate: Amir Abbas Beygmohammadlou.
Silver Medals:
Karate: Atena Mahboub Bashari, Fatemeh Yousefi Dehnavi, Setareh Zarei, and Vahab Shahmir.
Freestyle Wrestling: Mohammad Hossein Norouzian and Morteza Jan Mohammad-Zadeh.
Greco-Roman Wrestling: Reza Bahmani.
Bronze Medals:
Greco-Roman Wrestling: Reza Azar-Shab and Shayan Habib Zare.
Freestyle Wrestling: Mehdi Abbaspour.
Karate: Girls' and Boys' Kumite Teams, Hossein Vafa, Bita Zoughian, Farnoosh Noorsobhi (in Kumite), and Mohammad Mehdi.
The Iranian delegation participated in the championships with 32 athletes, consisting of 20 wrestlers (Freestyle and Greco-Roman) and 12 karatekas (girls and boys) competing in both Kumite and Kata disciplines.