According to "Varzesh 3", some paths are not smooth from the very beginning; they are full of twists and turns, with days when even continuing might seem difficult. The story of Payam Ahmadi, the young star of Iranian Greco-Roman wrestling, is of this very kind: a boy from Izeh, Khuzestan, who once worked as a street vendor to help his family and now stands one match away from reaching the pinnacle of world wrestling. Hailing from the Bakhtiari Lor region, by overcoming life's hardships, he has brought himself to a point where his name is heard among the main contenders in world wrestling.
Payam's path was accompanied by fascinating signs from his teenage years. After winning the gold medal at the national youth championships, he won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Youth Championships and placed third on the podium at the World Youth Championships that same year. These results were the beginning of a journey that quickly turned him into one of Iranian wrestling's notable talents. By winning the world gold medal in the youth category in 2023, Ahmadi showed that his successes were no accident and that he would have more to say in the coming years.
However, behind this progress, life did not always show him its favorable side. Alongside training and competing, Ahmadi worked as a street vendor to help cover his family's expenses—an image that at first glance might seem far removed from the world of world champions, but was part of his life's reality. Despite these conditions, he did not give up wrestling and moved forward step by step.
The year 2025 was an unforgettable one for Ahmadi. He won gold medals at the World Junior and Asian Junior Championships and then advanced to the final at the Senior World Championships. Appearing in the final match of the senior world championships, especially in his first experience, was no small feat; Ahmadi ultimately won the silver medal, but that runner-up finish proved that this young wrestler has the ability to compete with the world's best. He was no longer just a promising talent; he was a name that had to be taken seriously among the contenders.
One year later, Payam has reached that same position once again; with the difference that this time he also has the experience of a world final behind him. Today, at the 2026 World Championships in Kazakhstan, with a brilliant display, he advanced to the final match of the 55 kg weight category. A 10-1 victory over the American representative, a 9-0 superiority against the Indian wrestler, and a 7-1 win against his Kazakh opponent in the semifinals paved his way to the final. Thus, in his second year participating in the World Championships, Ahmadi has earned the opportunity to fight for the gold medal of these competitions for the second time.
Now everything depends on the final step; a step that can usher the story of this hardworking young man into a new chapter. Last year's silver was both a great honor for Ahmadi and an incentive to return and try again. This time he has reached the final once more and wants something more than just repeating a success. Payam Ahmadi is now thinking about gold: turning last year's silver into the gold he has fought for years to achieve. From Izeh to the world final, he has left a long path behind; now only one match remains for his big dream to perhaps turn into reality.
Source: Varzesh 3
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