Iran’s Ali Mirzai had a successful bantamweight wrestling career during the first half of the 1950s, which began with silver medals at both the Asian Games and the World Championships in 1951. On both occasions, he lost to his compatriot Mahmoud Namdjou. At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Mirzai took bronze to Namdjou’s silver, with Ivan Udodov of the Soviet Union earning gold. Mirzai’s last major international medal came at the 1954 World Championships, when he won bronze, again behind Namdjou’s silver, and this time with Soviet Bakir Farkhutdinov taking gold. Mirzai retired shortly thereafter and actively avoided the spotlight from then on, preferring to live a quiet life in Iran despite his international achievements.
Islamic Republic of Iran