About Gholamreza Takhti
Gholamreza Takhti (Persian: غلامرضا تختی; 27 August 1930 – 7 January 1968) was an Iranian freestyle wrestler and a practitioner of varzesh-e bastani (traditional Persian sport). He was a gold medalist at the 1956 Summer Olympics, 1958 Asian Games, 1959 World Championships, and 1961 World Championships, as well as a three-time Pahlevan of Iran. Popularly nicknamed Jahân Pahlevân (Persian: جهان پهلوان, lit. 'World Champion') because of his chivalrous behavior and sportsmanship (Javanmardi in Iranian culture), 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. Takhti is still considered a hero to many Iranians. He is listed in the UWW Hall of Fame. == Early life == On 27 August 1930, Takhti, the youngest child of a poor family, was born in the Khaniabad neighbourhood of south Tehran. At the age of 15, he entered Poulad Club in southern Tehran and began training in wrestling. He soon left Tehran to become a manual laborer in Masjed Soleyman. When he was called up for military service, his potential in wrestling was discovered and he began to train seriously after he was recruited as an Iran Railways employee in 1948. == Career == Takhti won his first Iranian championship in 1950.
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