Pat Cummins of the USA competes at 96 kg at the Habibi & Movahhed Cup in Iran on Saturday. Ali Feizasa photo

QAEMSHAHR, Iran - Pat Cummins (Reinholds, Pa./Lehigh Valley Athletic Club) was the only United States wrestler to see action in the first day of the Habibi & Movahhed Cup Wrestling Tournament on Saturday.  

The Untied States team beagn competing after arriving in Iran on Tuesday.  Qaemshahr is located in the province of Mazandaran which is considered to be the heartland of wrestling in Iran.
 
Cummins, who was third at the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials earlier this year, used his strength and conditioning to win his first bout of the tournament against M. Kazemiag of Iran, 0-1, 1-0, 3-0.  After losing the first period on the clinch, Cummins fought off two leg attacks in the second period before scoring a takedown.  In the final period, Cummins took control from the whistle and was not threatened.  
 
In his second bout, Cummins was beaten by Mahdi Mazaderani, also of Iran, 1-0, 4-0.  Mazardernai scored off of leg attacks in each period while Cummins was unable to counter or use his strength to ward off his opponent. Later, Mazardernai lost in the semi-finals which ended the day for Cummins.
 
Five United States wrestlers will compete on Sunday including Coleman Scott, 60 kg, Trent Paulson, 74 kg, Raymond Jordan, 84 kg, and Tervel Dlagnev and Tommy Rowlands at 120 kg.  The team is coached by Bill Zadick and Jamill Kelly.
 
In its first year, the tournament is named after two legends in the history of wrestling in Iran, Imamali Habibi and Abdollah Movahhed.  Both were Olympic Champions and together won eleven World Championshiips for Iran over 50 years ago.  Today, both men live in the United States.
 
The event is being held in Habibi Stadium, which is an indoor arena that holds approximately 3,000 people.  The sound of drums and cheering fans filled the air, especially when an Iranian wrestler turned in a good performance.
 
The competition drew wrestlers from several different countries to include Belarus, Georgia, Bulgaria, Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.  While most countries had incomplete teams or only one wrestler per weight class, the host country had unlimited entries.  Out of 17 wrestlers in 96 kg, eight were from Iran.
 
The competition concludes on Sunday.  Results will be available on Monday.  

EMAM ALI HABIBI & ABDOLLAH MOVAHED’S CUP
At Qaemshar, Iran, July 31

Freestyle results on Saturday

55 kg/121 lbs.
1 - Radoslav Velikov(Bulgaria)
2 - Asadolla Lachinov(Russia-Dagestan)
3 - Farzad Jafari(Iran)
3 - Mohammad Hassani(Iran)
5 - Farzan Bahrami(Iran)
5 - Mohammadhosein Soltani(Iran)

66 kg/145.5 lbs.
1 - Meisam Nasiri(Iran)
2 - Sobhan Mohammadzadeh(Iran)
3 - Vahid Ahangari(Iran)
3 - Siavash Goodarzi(Iran)
5 - Mohsen Aghajani(Iran)
5 - Michael Zarkua(Georgia)

96 kg/211.5 lbs.
1 - Sina Ghanizadeh(Iran)
2 - Yaser Ghorbani(Iran)
3 - Saeid Amiri(Iran)
3 - Abazar Eslami(Iran)
5 – Mehdi Mazandarani(Iran)
5 - Magomed Kurtev (Russia - Dagestan)

Saturday's U.S. freestyle results

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Pat Cummins, Reinholds, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), dnp
WIN M. Kazemiag (Iran), 0-1, 1-0, 3-0
LOSS Mahdi Mazaderani (Iran), 0-1, 0-4

U.S. freestyle team to compete on Sunday
60 kg/132 lbs. – Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. – Trent Paulson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
84 kg/185 lbs. – Raymond Jordan, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)