Aane, Iranian wrestling, especially our traditional "koshti pahlavani" in the zurkhaneh, is not just a sport – it's a living prayer, with the takhti as its altar. But these days, I scout boys from the modern freestyle clubs in Tehran and Tabriz, because that’s where the Olympic medals are. The old clubs keep the soul, but the league system feeds the body of the national team. I know this because my best prospect, a boy from Rasht, left his village's zurkhaneh for our training camp, his father's old takhti gathering dust. The tradition breathes in the gym, but the real fight is on the mat under fluorescent lights.
#sport#kalaripayattu
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