Iranian police get stranglehold on fake wrestlers
Mon Apr 3, 8:10 AM ET
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police have caught seven young men who were trying to emigrate to Hungary by masquerading as members of the national wrestling team, the official Iran newspaper reported on Monday.
Airport police arrested the seven men after a tip-off from the Iranian Wrestling Federation that warned 15 impostors would attempt to slip out of Iran under the pretext of attending a Greco-Roman wrestling contest in Hungary.
Getting visas to leave the Islamic Republic for
European Union countries is a very difficult process for most Iranians.
“Seven out of the 15 phoney wrestlers were arrested and warrants have been issued for the arrest of the remaining eight,” the newspaper quoted prosecutor Ataollah Roudgar as saying.
He said the men carried sports bags and wrestling suits but had not got their stories straight.
“Amongst those arrested was a young man who weighed about 60 kg (132 lb) and claimed to be the 120 kg contender,” Roudgar said.
Iran’s Wrestling Federation said it became suspicious when its members saw an Iranian team entered in the Hungarian bouts, a competition which had not been on Iran’s fixture schedule.
Wrestling is a highly prestigious sport with a long pedigree in Iran. Iran always expects to return from major competitions, including the Olympics, with a clutch of wrestling medals.
HHAHAHA wrestling doesn’t work at Customs!