U.S. wrestlers receive draw for first day of Takhti Cup in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran - The two U.S. freestyle wrestlers who will be competing on the first day of the 2009 Takhti Cup have weighed in and received their draws.

"Our men are ready to go and geared up for the competition. There is a strong field from the middle eastern and European countries so it'll be a good test for us," said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones.

2008 U.S. Olympian Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Gator WC) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. He will face Mostafa Hosein Khani of Iran in his first match on Thursday. If he wins, he will compete in the quarterfinals against an opponent to be determined.

Zadick was a 2006 World silver medalist. He is wrestling up one weight class from his usual 60 kg/132 lbs.

Also competing on Thursday at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. will be Mike Tamillow (Colorado Springs, Colo./unattached). Tamillow will face Rasoul Tavakoli of Iran in his first match. If he wins, his quarterfinal match will be between the winner of the match between Iranian wrestlers Hooman Sheida and Abazar Eslami.

Coaching the U.S. team will be USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones and Assistant National Freestyle Coach Brandon Slay.

Attending the tour as a special USA Wrestling delegate will be 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, who won the 55 kg/121 lbs. in freestyle wrestling at the Beijing Olympic Games. Cejudo competed in the 2007 Takhti Cup and won a silver medal. He will help coach and will also attend formal activities on behalf of Team USA.

Four other U.S. wrestlers will compete on Friday: Coleman Scott (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Shawn Bunch (Columbus, Ohio/New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Zack Esposito (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 2008 World University champion Tervel Dlagnev (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

USA Wrestling sponsored the first American sports team to compete in Iran after an absence of nearly 20 years, when a U.S. freestyle wrestling team competed in the 1998 Takhti Cup.

This will be the seventh time a U.S. team has competed in the Takhti Cup (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009). The U.S. also competed at the 1998 World Championships held in Tehran, Iran.

Iran has competed in wrestling in the United States a number of times. This included the 1995 World Championships in Atlanta, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and the 1998 Junior World Championships in Primm, Nev., the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York City and the 2003 World Championships in New York City. In addition, the Iranian team competed in the World Cup held in the United States a number of times (1995 in Chattanooga, 1998 in Stillwater, 1999 in Spokane, 2000 in Fairfax, Va. and 2001 in Baltimore).

While there, USA Wrestling will discuss with the Iranian Wrestling Federation plans to send an Iranian team to compete in the United States during the upcoming year.

Updates from the Takhti Cup will be posted on TheMat.com.

DRAWS FOR TAKHTI CUP ON THURSDAY

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1. Nasrollah Fadaei (Iran)
2. Reza Rajabzadeh (Iran)
3. Ghalem Morteza Rezaei (Iran)
4. Erhan Bakir (Turkey)
5. Hamed Shahverdi (Iran)
6. Ali Reza Abduljaleel (Iraq)
7. Kakageldy Gajiyev (Turkmenistan)
8. Mohsen Jahan Bakhshian (Iran)
9. Mostafa Hossein Khani (Iran)
10. Mike Zadick (USA)
11. Masoud Vahedi (Iran)
12. Maren Franklin (Cuba)
13. Morteza Goudarzi (Iran)
14. Akbar Behtari (Iran)
15. Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Russia)
16. Kurban Gazimagomedov (Russia)
17. Ahmad Jumayev (Uzbekistan)
18. Sobhan Mohammadzadeh (Iran)
19. Saied Dadashpourkrikl (Iran)
20. Bahram Ermatov (Uzbekistan)
21. Mohsen Aghajani (Iran)
22. Pehman Mohammadi (Iran)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1. Saied Amiri (Iran)
2. Ilimdar Sayidov (Ukraine)
3. Arash Mardani (Iran)
4. Jafar Daliri (Iran)
5. Mike Tamillow (USA)
6. Rasoul Tavakoli (Iran)
7. Hooman Sheida (Iran)
8. Abazar Eslami (Iran)
9. Kimeil Ghasemi (Iran)
10. Mehdi Noori (Iran)
11. Ahmad Karimi (Iran)
12. Amir Ashoori (Iran)
13. Erfan Amiri (Iran)
14. Abdul Ammaev (Uzbekistan)
15. Mohammed S. Hussein (Iran)
16. Magomed Koratov (Russia)
17. Mohammed Hossein Khaleghifar (Iran)