Tehran, Iran, January 15, 2023: The President of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa, has received a rare recording of the voice of legendary Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti on his 55th death anniversary on January 7.
The only voice recording of Olympic gold medallist and world champion Takhti was donated to the Iranian Olympic and Paralympic Museum by veteran media broadcaster Ali Akbar Mohammadi Bagha on behalf of the radio journalist who conducted the interview, Ataullah Behmanesh.
“Mr. Behmanesh gave me the tape of the voice of Takhti about a year before his demise. He told me to donate it to the National Sports Museum once it was renovated so that the public could listen to the voice of the great Takhti,” said Mohammadi Bagha.
“The tape has been in my possession and it has not been played on any radio or television programmes. Today, I am happy to fulfill the will of my teacher Behmanesh, who recorded this interview of Takhti during the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games,” Mohammadi Bagha added.
Takhti, who died on January 7, 1968, aged 37, was a national hero and a popular figure among Iranians. He won Olympic gold at Melbourne 1956 and two silver medals at Helsinki 1952 and Rome 1960.
This interview was taken after he had finished fourth at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
He was also twice world champion, in 1959 and 1961, and also an Asian Games gold medallist in 1958 in Tokyo. Because of his chivalrous behaviour and sportsmanship, Takhti won the hearts of the Iranian public.
