Hadi Saei
Encyclopedia
Hadi Saei Bonehkohal ' onMouseout='HidePop("6412")' href="/topics/Rey,_Iran">Rey, Iran
) is a former Iranian Azerbaijani
Taekwondo
athlete who became the most successful Iranian athlete in Olympic history after winning gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics
. He competed in the Men's 68 kg
(featherweight) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
and won the gold medal. In addition, he competed in the Men's 80 kg
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
and won his second olympic gold. Earlier in his career and in the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Saei had won the bronze medal. He was elected as member of City Council of Tehran
in 2006 local election
. On 24 July 2011, he was elected as chairman of the Nassaji Mazandaran FC.
Having previously competed in Lightweight (67–72 kg), he is the 1999 World Champion and 2003 World Championship silver medallist. When the Iranian town of Bam
was devastated in the 2003 earthquake, Saei put his medals on auction to raise money for the victims.
He has been World Champion in the Tae Kwon Do World Championships two times. Currently, he is a senior at the Iran Physical Education University.
Saei officially ended his career as a Tae Kwon Do athlete on November 8, 2008 (18 Aban 1387).
ese Deepak Bista
his right hand was fractured during the fight however he did not indicate his injury throughout the entire competition despite enormous pain until he won the final against the Italian
Mauro Sarmiento
. Immediately after winning the Gold medal his hand was in plaster cast. Previously he wanted to say farewell after winning in the final, but his coach Reza Mehmandoust
has advised him not to do it.
By winning his gold medal, Saei ensured that Iran was leaving Beijing with a better result than their poor showing at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where they bagged only one bronze medal. Full results of Iran's medals in the history of the Summer Olympic games can be found in the 'Medal tables' in Iran at the Olympics.
Rey, Iran
Rey or Ray , also known as Rhages and formerly as Arsacia, is the capital of Rey County, Tehran Province, Iran, and is the oldest existing city in the province....
) is a former Iranian Azerbaijani
Iranian Azerbaijanis
Iranian Azerbaijanis also known as Iranian Azeris, Iranian Turks, Azeri Turks or Persian Azerbaijanis, are Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity. Iranian Azeris are mainly found in the northwest provinces of East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, parts of West Azerbaijan, and in smaller numbers, in other...
Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
athlete who became the most successful Iranian athlete in Olympic history after winning gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. He competed in the Men's 68 kg
Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics were held in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex where 124 competitors competed in eight events, four each for men and women....
(featherweight) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and won the gold medal. In addition, he competed in the Men's 80 kg
Taekwondo at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Taekwondo competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 20 to August 23 at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. 128 Taekwondo practitioners, 64 men and 64 women, competed in 8 events...
at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and won his second olympic gold. Earlier in his career and in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Saei had won the bronze medal. He was elected as member of City Council of Tehran
City Council of Tehran
The City Council of Tehran is the elected council that presides over the city of Tehran, elects the Mayor of Tehran, and budgets of the Municipality of Tehran.The council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms...
in 2006 local election
Iranian City and Village Councils elections, 2006
The Iranian City and Village Councils election of 2006 took place on December 15, 2006. People elected representatives for City and Village Councils, who in their turn elected the mayors....
. On 24 July 2011, he was elected as chairman of the Nassaji Mazandaran FC.
Career
He has been practicing Tae Kwon Do since he was six years old.Having previously competed in Lightweight (67–72 kg), he is the 1999 World Champion and 2003 World Championship silver medallist. When the Iranian town of Bam
Bam
Bam is commonly used as an onomatopoeia for a sound, mostly that of an impact or collision.Bam or BAM may also refer to:Places:*Bam, Iran, a city*Bam County, an administrative subdivision of Iran*Bam Province, Burkina Faso...
was devastated in the 2003 earthquake, Saei put his medals on auction to raise money for the victims.
He has been World Champion in the Tae Kwon Do World Championships two times. Currently, he is a senior at the Iran Physical Education University.
Saei officially ended his career as a Tae Kwon Do athlete on November 8, 2008 (18 Aban 1387).
2008 Summer Olympics
In the first match against the NepalNepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese Deepak Bista
Deepak Bista
Deepak Bista is a male Nepalese taekwondo practitioner. He won the bronze medal in the welterweight category at the 2006 Asian Games, and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. On August 8, 2008 at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Bista was the flagbearer for Nepal.-Childhood:Deepak...
his right hand was fractured during the fight however he did not indicate his injury throughout the entire competition despite enormous pain until he won the final against the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Mauro Sarmiento
Mauro Sarmiento
Mauro Sarmiento is an Italian martial artist. He represented Italy in Taekwondo at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 80 kg, and won the silver medal, upsetting two-time Olympic champion Steven López of the United States in the quarterfinals. In the gold medal round he lost to Hadi Saei.- References :...
. Immediately after winning the Gold medal his hand was in plaster cast. Previously he wanted to say farewell after winning in the final, but his coach Reza Mehmandoust
Reza Mehmandoust
Reza Mehmandoust is an Iranian Taekwondo player and the coach of Iran's National Taekwondo team.Mehmandoust has the title of "2011 world best Taekwondo coach". Iran's National Taekwondo team became world champion in 2011 under his guidance.- Links:*World Taekwondo Championships...
has advised him not to do it.
By winning his gold medal, Saei ensured that Iran was leaving Beijing with a better result than their poor showing at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where they bagged only one bronze medal. Full results of Iran's medals in the history of the Summer Olympic games can be found in the 'Medal tables' in Iran at the Olympics.
Titles
- 1995 World Military Taekwondo Championships SILVER
- 1996 World Military Taekwondo Championships BRONZE
- 1998 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
- 1999 World Taekwondo Championships GOLD
- 2000 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
- 2000 Sydney Olympic Games BRONZE
- 2001 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
- 2002 Asian Taekwondo Championships SILVER
- 2002 World Taekwondo Cup GOLD
- 2002 Busan Asian Games GOLD
- 2003 World Taekwondo Championships SILVER
- 2004 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
- 2004 Athens Olympic Games GOLD
- 2005 World Taekwondo Championship GOLD
- 2006 Asian Taekwondo Championships GOLD
- 2006 Doha Asian Games BRONZE
- 2007 World Taekwondo Championship BRONZE
- 2008 Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament GOLD
- 2008 Beijing Olympic Games GOLD