Saeid Abdevali

Who is Saeid Abdevali?

Saeid Abdevali is an Iranian wrestler. He is a two-time world junior champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Abdevali won the 2011 world championships to clinch his spot at the Olympics in London. Abdevali also won the 2010 Asian Games and won the World Cup in 2010 and 2011. This success follows an illustrious junior career, where he won the world championship in 2008 and 2009 and was the Asian junior champion in 2008. He also won two bronze medals at the Asian junior championships before moving to the senior level in 2010.

Despite being tipped to take the gold medal, Abdevali was eliminated in the London 2012 Olympics by French wrestler Steeve Guenot, in what was widely regarded as a controversial decision by the referee. Protest against fouls committed by Guenot was dismissed and ignored by the referees, whereas fouls committed by Abdevali were magnified and penalised. The decision to therefore eliminate Abdevali sparked outrage and a huge social networking attack on FILA, primarily by his fellow Iranians, by whom Abdevali is hailed the true champion and national hero regardless.