TEHRAN - Iranian Greco-Roman wrestler Muhammad Hadi Saravi has been nominated for the 2025 World’s Best Male Athlete award by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), placing him among the elite figures of global sport.
 According to Fars News Agency, Saravi’s inclusion on the prestigious shortlist marks a rare and historic achievement for Iranian wrestling.
The celebrated champion, who hails from the northern city of Amol, secured his second consecutive world title this year, a feat that significantly strengthened his candidacy for one of the most respected individual honors in international sport.
 Saravi now stands alongside some of the world’s most prominent sports stars, including Kylian Mbappé, Nikola Jokić, Carlos Alcaraz, Mohamed Salah, Armand Duplantis, Léon Marchand, Luka Dončić, Jannik Sinner, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris.
Saravi won the gold medal in the 97 kg event at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway. He also won one of the bronze medals in the 97 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.  
In 2020, he won the gold medal in his event at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in New Delhi, India. He also won the gold medal in the 97 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France.  
Each year, AIPS conducts a global poll among sports journalists to select the world’s top athlete. Saravi’s nomination not only highlights his outstanding personal achievements but also once again underscores the prominent position of Iranian wrestling on the global sporting stage.