Obituary

Habibi, Iran's first Olympic champion, dies aged 94

Monday, August 25, 2025 - 09:42 By United World Wrestling Press

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TEHRAN, Iran (August 24) -- Emamali HABIBI (IRI), Iran's first-ever Olympic gold medalist and United World Wrestling Hall of Fame member, passed away Sunday aged 94.

Habibi was born Babol in 1931 and won the first Olympic gold medal for Iran in 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Facing Alimbeg BESTAEV in the final round to decide the gold medalist, Habibi secured a fall in the 67kg final and etched his name in history, became first Olympic champion for Iran.

It was a rare feat in those times as he had never wrestled at an international event before the Olympics. He would make his World Championships debut in 1959, winning gold medal at 73kg. He defended his title in 1961 and added a third gold medal in 1962 at 78kg.

Emamali HABIBI (IRI)Emamali HABIBI (IRI) with his World Championships gold medal.

He participated in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome at 73kg and finished fourth. Habibi also has a gold medal at the 1958 Asian Games, held in Tokyo, Japan.

Habibi's legacy also includes his diverse wrestling techniques and speed on the mat which allowed him to win bouts with domination. He is widely considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of his times. He was included in the UWW Hall of Fame in 2007 for his contribution to wrestling.

UWW offers its condolences to Iran Wrestling Federation and the Habibi family.

#UnitedWorldWrestling

UWW President Lalovic meets Azerbaijan Economic Minister, federation President Jabbarov

Friday, December 13, 2024 - 11:28 By United World Wrestling Press

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BAKU, Azerbaijan (December 12) -- United World Wrestling President Nenad LALOVIC met with Economic Minister of Azerbaijan Mikayil JABBAROV, who is also the President of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation, in Baku on Wednesday.

They were accompanied by Namik ALIYEV, UWW Bureau Member and Gordon TEMPLEMAN, Director of Commercial Operations & Communications at UWW.

The discussions between the two parties revolved around the growth of wrestling in Azerbaijan, Grappling, Pankration, Amateur MMA, and an inaugural pro league in wrestling by UWW.

"We were pleased to meet with Nenad LALOVIC, President of United World Wrestling," Jabbarov wrote in a social media post. "During our discussion, we highlighted the initiatives undertaken to develop wrestling in Azerbaijan, including efforts to train young talents and enhance cooperation to further elevate the professionalism and international achievements of our athletes.

We were pleased to meet with Nenad Lalović, President of United World Wrestling (@wrestling). During our discussion, we highlighted the initiatives undertaken to develop wrestling in #Azerbaijan, including efforts to train young talents and enhance cooperation to further elevate… pic.twitter.com/qtwcY80JS1

— Mikayil Jabbarov (@MikayilJabbarov) December 11, 2024

"We also emphasized that the inclusion of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation in the leadership of UWW’s newly established Committee for Grappling, Pankration, and Amateur MMA reflects the high level of trust placed in our country’s wrestling community."

Azerbaijan has been a hotspot of wrestling and hosted the European Olympic Games Qualifier for the Paris Games in 2024. It also hosted the U23 European Championships and European Grappling Championships. In 2022, it played host to the Greco-Roman World Cup. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Azerbaijan qualified 12 wrestlers and won three bronze medals.