Mohammad Jafar Salmasi
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Jafar Salmasi was born in Kazemieh, Iraq from an Iranian family that lived in Iraq for over 120 years and still maintained their Iranian citizenship despite troubles they endured in Iraq. Later, Salmasi moved to Iran. He always wanted to stay an Iranian citizen and was proud to be an Iranian. In his youth he was a body builder and gymnast. During the Allied occupation of Iran in World War II, Salmasi sparked the spirit of athleticism in Iran and the Shah was one of the main figures who encouraged him to excel so that some day when and if Iran attended an Olympic, he would represent his country. In 1944 in front of a large crowd in Tehran and with the young Shah present, Salmasi broke the world record in Press in the featherweight division by lifting 94 Kg. Officials from the International Weightlifting Federation were invited for the occasion. At eighty years old, Salmasi lives in the Holy city of Qum outside Tehran. He is considered an Iranian sport icon. Once asked what was his most memorable moment, he replied it was when he carried the Iranian flag in the 1960 Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Rome. The wrestler Takhti, the Gold champion of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic, had been chosen to carry the Iranian flag. In fact, the day before Takhti had carried the flag in the rehearsal program. |
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In the opening day Takhti gave up his responsibility of carrying the flag and gave it to Salmasi as a gesture of respect to Salmasi who had been brought to the Olympics as Iran's weightlifting coach. In his own words to a reporter three years ago, Salmasi recollects that day: "Yes Agha [Sir in Persian], I was standing toward the end in the Iranian group. We are waiting for our turn to enter the Rome Stadium. I am a short guy and I was almost lost in the Iranian delegation. Suddenly I saw Pahlevan Takhti coming toward me with the flag in his hand. He practically dragged me to the front and handed me the flag and said 'Sir, as long as you are here with us I will not allow myself to carry this sacred flag. You are an Olympic veteran and because of the respect and honor we owe you, it is you who should carry this flag not me!'
"He then stood behind me and I carried the flag into the Stadium. I will never forget that moment and Pahlevan Takhti's sense of urgency to hand me the flag."
