Tehran, Iran, November 10, 2020: Legendary Iranian swimmer and water polo player Heydar Shonjani passed away at the age of 75 on Sunday, November 8, reports the Tehran Times.
Shonjani was the first Iranian swimmer to compete at the Olympic Games. He participated at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo in the men’s 100-meter freestyle but failed to reach the final with a time of 1:02.1.
Shonjani was a member of Iran’s national water polo team that won a gold medal at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran.
He also represented Iran in water polo at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where Iran failed to qualify for the next stage after being defeated by Italy, Yugoslavia and Cuba.
The Bandar Anzali-born Shonjani helped so many Iranian swimmers find their way in the sport and his legacy will live on.