Iranian wrestlers aim high as they grapple with Olympic training

Iranian wrestlers are beefing up their preparations for the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics, where the team's coaches and athletes say they are aiming for new heights.

While the country competes across many different sports, it is wrestling that holds its attention. Roman and freestyle wrestling are a source of national pride, accounting for more than half of Iran's Olympic medals.

Iran is one of the strongest teams in the world when it comes to wrestling. The country holds 76 Olympic medals, and its wrestlers have won nearly 50 of them.

Since the Islamic Republic was established in the late 1970s, Iran has won medals in wrestling in all the summer games it's taken part in, and the national team plans to continue this legacy in France.

"It's a very big responsibility to coach Iran's national team. People have the right to expect a lot from the wrestling team, especially our roman wrestlers. All the athletes in our Olympic delegation also expect a lot from us. And I'm hopeful that our six wrestlers can meet the people's expectations," said Hassan Rangraz, coach of the Iranian National Roman Wrestling Team.

Amin Azazadeh is one of the hopefuls this year in the 120-plus kilogram weight category. Ranked number one on the United World Wrestling 2024 list, he is set to compete for gold.

"In the previous Olympics I ranked fifth, but I'm hopeful about winning gold in the coming Olympics. We've definitely faced hard training days due to the importance of this Olympic Games, which are only held every four years. It needs precise planning. My strongest competitors are from Cuba, Türkiye, Russia, and of course the others are also good. No one goes to the Olympics to lose. We are all there to win," he said.

Trophies Iran's national wrestling team has won throughout its history surround the players as they train.

On the walls of the hall, pictures of World and Olympic champions look over the wrestlers to inspire them to new heights.

On their journey to prepare for the Olympics, Iran's national wrestling team has won medals in all the competitions they've participated in over recent months.

The country appears to be on the right track. Its wrestlers won 11 tickets for the Olympics out of the 12 maximum seats set for each country in both Roman and freestyle wrestling.

Iranian wrestlers aim high as they grapple with Olympic training

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza Strip has risen to 50,423, with 114,638 injured, after nearly 18 months of Israeli military operations, Gaza health authorities said Wednesday.

Local medical sources noted that since the Israeli army resumed its operations on March 18, the number of fatalities has reached 1,066, while 2,597 have been injured.

In the past 24 hours alone, hospitals in Gaza received 24 fatalities and 55 injured. Many bodies remain trapped beneath the rubble, with ambulances and civil defense personnel struggling to reach them.

According to a report by the Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Wednesday that it had carried out strikes on over 50 sites belonging to Hamas and other militant groups, ahead of a major ground push into the southern Gaza Strip. During the day, dozens more strikes were carried out across Gaza.

In addition, the IDF issued a statement on Wednesday night that it had intercepted two rockets launched from northern Gaza. Air raid sirens were activated in areas near the Gaza Strip, and local media said that there are no reports of injuries or damage in the attack. The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to Palestinian media reports on Wednesday, the Israeli air force targeted a medical facility operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The head of Gaza-based health authorities reported on the same day that 19 people were killed in the attack.

The Israeli military stated on Wednesday that it had struck a Hamas command center in Jabalia.

On Wednesday night, Al Jazeera quoted relevant sources as saying that Hamas officials had received Israel's response to the ceasefire proposal, which had been put forward by mediators and accepted by Hamas. Based on this response, they concluded that Israel had rejected the proposal.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 50,423