Mojtaba Abedini

Mojtaba Abedini Shourmasti (Persian: مجتبی عابدینی شورمستی; born 11 August 1984) is an Iranian 3-time Olympian sabre fencer.[2] In 2012, he became the first Iranian fencer to compete in the Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Fencing Championships, becoming the first-ever Iranian fencer to win a medal at the World Fencing Championships.

Mojtaba Abedini
Personal information
Full nameMojtaba Abedini Shourmasti
Bornمجتبی عابدینی شورمستی
(1984-08-11) 11 August 1984
Tehran, Iran
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight80 kg (176 lb)
Sport
CountryIran
SportFencing
WeaponSabre
Handright-handed
National coachPeyman Fakhri, Amin Ghorbani[1]
FIE rankingcurrent ranking
Medal record
Men's sabre fencing
Representing  Iran
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2019 BudapestIndividual
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2014 Incheon Team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Jakarta–Palembang Team
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 2013 Shanghai Team
Silver medal – second place 2014 Suwon Individual
Silver medal – second place 2015 Singapore Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Hong Kong Team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Bangkok Team
Silver medal – second place 2019 Chiba Team
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Chiang Mai Team
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Manila Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Manila Team
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Kota Kinabalu Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Kota Kinabalu Team
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Nantong Team
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Bangkok Team
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Seoul Team
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Wakayama Team
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Shanghai Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Suwon Team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Singapore Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Chiba Individual
Islamic Solidarity Games
Gold medal – first place 2005 Saudi ArabiaIndividual
Silver medal – second place 2005 Saudi ArabiaTeam
West Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2002 Kuwait City Team
Gold medal – first place 2005 Doha Individual
Silver medal – second place 2002 Kuwait City Individual

Early life

Abedini was born in Tehran, Iran.[3] He has a master's degree in Sport Administration/Management from the University of Tehran ('14), and speaks English and Persian.[1] His wife is Narges Faal, and he has two daughters.[1]

Fencing career

Abedini won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Fencing Championships in Budapest, Hungary, losing only to Hungarian former world champion András Szatmári, becoming the first-ever Iranian fencer to win a medal at the World Fencing Championships.[1]

He qualified to compete in the men's sabre event of the 2012 Summer Olympics through a zone tournament held in Wakayama City, Japan, becoming the first Iranian fencer to compete at the Olympics.[4] Abedini was defeated in the first round by Romania's Florin Zalomir, and came in 37th in individual sabre.[5]

He also competed in men's individual sabre event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, coming in fourth.[5] He reached the semifinals by a series of fine performances against the likes of Andriy Yahodka, Gu Bon-gil, and Vincent Anstett but missed the chance to go on the podium when he was defeated by American Daryl Homer in the semifinals and Korean Kim Jung-hwan in the bronze medal match.[6]

Abedini competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, coming in 11th in individual sabre and 6th in team sabre.[7] He was captain of the Iranian sabre team, which appeared in the Olympics for the first time ever.[8]

Starting in 2021 he also served as a coach of the Iranian national youth fencing team.[1]

After the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in Iran under suspicious circumstances, following her arrest by the Guidance Patrol, the Islamic morality police of Iran's Law Enforcement Command, for not wearing a hijab in accordance with government standards, Abedini resigned fencing under the Iranian team, writing:

"Every time I played for the national team, it was with all my heart, because it was and is the first and last reason for the victory of the people of the land. The people of my land are being disrespected and beaten. I consider it my duty to express my sympathy and companionship with them. I must say goodbye to the Iranian national team forever out of respect for women and my country."[9]

See also

References
  1. "ABEDINI Mojtaba," FIE.
  2. "Mojtaba Abedini". London2012.com. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012.
  3. "Mojtaba Abedini". NBC Olympics.
  4. "Iran fencer Mojtaba Abedini makes history". Tehran Times. 20 April 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015.
  5. "Mojtaba ABEDINI," Olympics.com.
  6. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mojtaba Abedini". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  7. "ABEDINI Mojtaba". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  8. "Iranian sabre fencer receives world championship award". IRNA English. 24 February 2020.
  9. "A Wave of Resignations of State Employees is Underway in Iran". Iranwire. 25 September 2022.
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