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IRNA - Iran`s futsal manager Mohammad-Hassan
Ansarifard was elected as Coach of the Year 2003 here Friday.
During the 4th annual ceremony in the conference hall of the state television, the self-deprecating Ansarifard received his award
from head of Physical Education Organization, Mohsen Mehralizadeh.
Iran is the undisputed champion of Asia, lifting the trophy at all previous five editions.
On Jan 16, Iran was drawn with Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Hong Kong in Group A of the 6th Asian Futsal Championships in
Macau.
Macau will host the Asian futsal event in mid-April 2004.
The five-times champion, Iran, will play against Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Indonesia on April 15-19.
Hadi Rezaei, the sitting volleyball head coach, Alireza Amini, judo manager, and Gholam-Reza Dabbaghian, the karate manager were
also voted as the country`s top national coaches in 2003.
CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS
The world`s strongest man, Hossein Rezazadeh, was again voted as Iran`s "Champion of Champions" and "Sportsman of the Year 2003" here
Friday night.
Rezazadeh, who is the world`s +105 kg weightlifting champion, won the prestigious title for the third time -- 2000, 2002, 2003.
Iran`s world-class Greco-Roman wrestler, Hassan Rangraz, was named the "Champion of Champions" in 2001.
The Hercules of Ardebil, northwest of Iran, received his prize money, some 30,000 dollars, from Ali Larijani, head of the Islamic
Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
President of Physical Education Organization, Mohsen Mehralizadeh,his deputy Ali Kaffashian, and head of National Olympic Committee,
Mostafa Hashemi-Taba were present in the ceremony.
With two golds and one bronze, Rezazadeh lifted 457.5 kg and +105 kg title in the 73rd World Weightlifting Championships in Vancouver,
southwest of Canada.
The 24-year-old Rezazadeh failed to improve his own snatch record, 213 kg, in his third effort for 213.5 kg and bagged bronze with 207.5
kg.
He retained the clean and jerk title, hoisting 250 kg in his first move. The lifter of Ardebil, northwest of Iran, did not succeed in
handling 263.5 kg -- 0.5 kg above his own record -- in his second effort.
Rezazadeh burst spectacularly onto the international scene at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a superhuman lift to defeat two legends of
the sport on the way to gold and the title of the `world`s strongest man.`
He took Olympic gold with a world record total of 472.5 kg (212.5 kg in the snatch and 260 kg in the clean and jerk).
His 260 kg lift was one of the heaviest in weightlifting history and proved too much for 1992 gold medalist Weller and 1996 winner
Chemerkin who settled for silver and bronze respectively.
Rezazadeh won three gold medals in +105 kg category of the 72nd World Weightlifting Championships in Warsaw, Poland, as he totally
lifted 472.5 kg. He set a new world record in clean and jerk by 0.5 kg as he lifted 263 kilograms.
On Jan 9, President Mohammad Khatami granted a `badge of courage` to the lifter.
During a ceremony held in the presence of several ministers and other state officials at Hafezieh Cultural
Complex, Khatami presented medals to 16 athletes of the land, including world-class weightlifter
Hossein Rezazadeh, freestyle wrestler Alireza Dabir, and taekwondo champion Hadi Saei as a sign of acknowledging their efforts in
sportsmanship.
Rezazadeh set a new world +105 kg snatch record at the 35th Asian Weightlifting Championships, which ended in China on September 14.
Iran stood top among 13 participating countries with 599 points and the host China and Indonesia finished runner-up and third with 514
and 493 points respectively.
Kazakhstan, Thailand, and North Korea stood fourth to sixth.
Rezazadeh improved the world`s +105 kg record by 0.5 kg as he lifted 213 kg in snatch.
In his first clean-and-jerk effort, Rezazadeh kept 250 kg above his head, winning three gold medals for snatch, clean and jerk, and
total categories.
The top 10 athletes in 2003 are as follows:
1. Hossein Rezazadeh (weightlifting champion)
2. Mitra Hejazi (chess champion)
3. Enayatollah Bokharaei (disabled shooting champion)
4. Mohammad Torkashvand (volleyballer)
5. Alireza Rezaei (freestyle wrestling champion)
6. Abbas Samimi (discus champion)
7. Mohammad-Ali Falahati-Nejad (weightlifting champion)
8. Youssef Karami (taekwondo champion)
9. Arash Mir-Esmaeili (judo champion)
10. Mehdi Mahdavikia (Asian Player of the Year) |
