1. Overview
Alireza Dabir (علیرضا دبیرAlireza DabirPersian, born September 16, 1977) is an Iranian freestyle wrestler and prominent sports administrator. He is widely recognized for his achievement of a gold medal in the 58 kg freestyle wrestling event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. His wrestling career also includes a World Championship title in 1998 and multiple silver medals at various international competitions. Following his retirement from competitive wrestling in 2004, Dabir transitioned into public service, serving as a member of the City Council of Tehran for a decade, and later became the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation.
2. Early Life
Alireza Dabir was born on September 16, 1977, in Rey, a city located in Tehran Province, Iran. He is an alumnus of Allameh Tabataba'i University.
3. Wrestling Career
Alireza Dabir enjoyed a distinguished career as a freestyle wrestler, primarily active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. His professional career was marked by significant accomplishments at major international competitions, where he consistently demonstrated his prowess in the 58 kg and later the 66 kg freestyle categories.
3.1. Major International Achievements
Dabir's career highlights include notable success at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Asian Games, where he secured several medals.
3.1.1. Olympic Games
Alireza Dabir achieved his most significant triumph at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He earned the gold medal in the 58 kg freestyle wrestling event, overcoming several strong international opponents on his path to victory.
He also participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. However, his performance at these Games was significantly hampered by a pre-existing shoulder injury. This injury affected his ability to compete effectively, leading to his defeat in all of his matches by points and subsequent elimination from the tournament.
3.1.2. World Championships
Alireza Dabir secured a gold medal at the 1998 World Wrestling Championships, which were notably held in Tehran, his home country. In addition to his gold, he earned three silver medals at subsequent World Wrestling Championships, finishing as a runner-up in 1999, 2001, and 2002.
3.1.3. Asian Games
At the 2002 Asian Games, Alireza Dabir continued his medal-winning streak, securing a silver medal in freestyle wrestling.
3.2. Detailed Match Record
Alireza Dabir's individual match results at major international tournaments are comprehensively listed in the table below:
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 24-7 | Artur Tavkazakhov (Uzbekistan) | 4-5 | 2004-08-26 | Olympic Games | Athens | |
| Loss | 24-6 | Makhach Murtazaliev (Russia) | 0-4 | 2004-08-26 | Olympic Games | Athens | |
| Loss | 24-5 | Ahto Raska (Estonia) | - | 2003-09-12 | World Championships | New York City (United States) | Withdraw |
| Loss | 24-4 | Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria) | 2-4 | 2003-09-12 | World Championships | New York City (United States) | |
| Loss | 24-3 | Elbrus Tedeyev (Ukraine) | 4-5 | 2002-09-05 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 24-2 | Zaur Botaev (Russia) | 2-1 | 2002-09-05 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 23-2 | Neal Ewers (Canada) | 4-1 | 2002-09-05 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 22-2 | Kazuhiko Ikematsu (Japan) | 6-4 | 2002-09-05 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 21-2 | Chuan Li (China) | 9-2 | 2002-09-05 | World Championships | Tehran | 66 kg debut |
| Loss | 20-2 | Serafim Barzakov (Bulgaria) | 1-3 | 2001-11-22 | World Championships | Sofia | Gold Medal Match |
| Win | 20-1 | Mehmet Yozgat (Turkey) | 3-0 | 2001-11-22 | World Championships | Sofia | |
| Win | 19-1 | Bill Zadick (United States) | 9-2 | 2001-11-22 | World Championships | Sofia | |
| Win | 18-1 | Mukesh Kumar (India) | 10-0 | 2001-11-22 | World Championships | Sofia | |
| Win | 17-1 | Ruslan Bodișteanu (Moldova) | 4-3 | 2001-11-22 | World Championships | Sofia | |
| Win | 16-1 | Jose Luis Paico (Peru) | 10-0 | 2001-11-22 | World Championships | Sofia | 63 kg debut |
| Win | 15-1 | Evgeni Buslovich (Ukraine) | 3-0 | 2000-09-28 | Olympic Games | Sydney | Wins Gold Medal |
| Win | 14-1 | Terry Brands (United States) | 6-4 | 2000-09-28 | Olympic Games | Sydney | |
| Win | 13-1 | Purevbaatar Oyunbuleg (Mongolia) | 5-2 | 2000-09-28 | Olympic Games | Sydney | |
| Win | 12-1 | Guivi Sissaouri (Canada) | 3-0 | 2000-09-28 | Olympic Games | Sydney | |
| Win | 11-1 | Talata Embalo (Guinea-Bissau) | 10-0 | 2000-09-28 | Olympic Games | Sydney | |
| Loss | 10-1 | Harun Doğan (Turkey) | 1-3 | 1999-10-07 | World Championships | Ankara | Gold Medal Match |
| Win | 10-0 | Damir Zakhartinov (Uzbekistan) | 3-0 | 1999-10-07 | World Championships | Ankara | |
| Win | 9-0 | Andrej Fašánek (Slovakia) | 5-0 | 1999-10-07 | World Championships | Ankara | |
| Win | 8-0 | Purevbaatar Oyunbuleg (Mongolia) | 4-2 | 1999-10-07 | World Championships | Ankara | |
| Win | 7-0 | Evgeni Buslovich (Ukraine) | 2-1 | 1999-10-07 | World Championships | Ankara | |
| Win | 6-0 | Arif Abdullaev (Azerbaijan) | 4-1 | 1999-10-07 | World Championships | Ankara | |
| Win | 5-0 | Harun Doğan (Turkey) | 2-2 | 1998-09-07 | World Championships | Tehran | Wins Gold Medal |
| Win | 4-0 | Rouslan Madyinov (Kyrgyzstan) | 8-3 | 1998-09-07 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 3-0 | Tadeusz Kowalski (Poland) | 12-0 | 1998-09-07 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 2-0 | Jin-Hyuk Jung (South Korea) | 3-2 | 1998-09-07 | World Championships | Tehran | |
| Win | 1-0 | Fan Zhang (China) | 7-0 | 1998-09-07 | World Championships | Tehran | 58 kg |
3.3. Retirement from Wrestling
Alireza Dabir's competitive wrestling career concluded following his participation in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The decision to retire was largely influenced by a persistent shoulder injury that significantly hindered his performance during the Games. After struggling with the injury and failing to secure any victories in Athens, he officially retired from competitive wrestling.
4. Post-Wrestling Career
After his retirement from professional wrestling, Alireza Dabir transitioned into new roles in public service and sports administration, continuing his contributions to society and the sporting world.
4.1. Political Career
Alireza Dabir embarked on a political career, serving as an elected member of the City Council of Tehran. His tenure on the council spanned from April 29, 2007, to August 22, 2017, dedicating a decade to public service in Iran's capital. He was elected with a substantial number of votes, securing 400,677 votes, which accounted for 17.86% of the total ballots cast. During his time on the council, he was affiliated with the Progress and Justice Population of Islamic Iran party.
4.2. Sports Administration
Since July 2019, Alireza Dabir has held the prominent position of President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation. In this role, he is responsible for leading and overseeing the strategic direction, development, and management of wrestling programs and activities across Iran, leveraging his extensive experience as a former champion wrestler.