Italian embassy honors Iranian legendary wrestler Gholamreza Takhti

The Italian Embassy in Tehran has inaugurated a photo exhibit in honor of the Iranian wrestling icon and national hero Gholamreza Takhti.

Titled ‘Gholamreza Takhti, Portraits of a Champion’, the exhibition was opened on Thursday and will remain open until September 1, 2021 at the Italian Residence in Tehran.    

The exhibit features 29 works by four Iranian artists, including Khosrow Hassanzadeh, Yasamin Khorsandi, Behdad Panjehzadeh, and Behzad Shishegaran.

In his opening remarks at the inaugural event, Giuseppe Perrone, the Italian Ambassador in Tehran emphasized the close and friendly relations between Italy and Iran, particularly when it comes to cooperation in such popular disciplines as football, volleyball and wrestling.

Perrone also said, “Gholamreza Takhti, a man who really fought in his life and helped the poor and respected his fellow athletes along with being so respectful, embodies the character and values of the Iranian nation.”

Internationally famous Iranian wrestling champion Takhti, who passed away at the age of 37 in 1968, is renowned not just for his extraordinary sports skills, but also for his unique human side.

Over the years, Gholamreza Takhti has become the subject of contemporary art, being portrayed in the works of many Iranian artists, some of which are part of the collections of famous international museums, including the British Museum in London.

MM/FM