TEHRAN – The 56th death anniversary of Iranian legendary wrestler Gholamreza Takhti was held on Sunday.

The memorial was held at Ibn-e Babouyeh Cemetery in southern Tehran, near Shahr-e Ray, where he is commemorated every year by the Iranians.

Takhti was born in Tehran on August 27, 1930 and was found dead in a hotel room on Jan. 7, 1968.

He won the gold medal in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, defeating Boris Kulayev from Soviet Union in the final match.

Takhti also claimed two Olympics silver medals in 1952 Helsinki and 1960 Rome.

He won two World Championships gold medals in 1959 Tehran and 1961 Yokohama.

The freestyle wrestler also seized a gold medal in the 1958 Asian Games held in Tokyo, Japan.

Takhti is the most famous wrestler in Iranian history. The legend was known for his chivalry and sportsmanship and continues to symbolize the essence of sports to the Iranian people.