They are not friends. They are more than that. They are brothers. Zabiollah Poorshab and Sajad Ganjzadeh have been part of all Iranian campaigns, often victorious, for a decade. The Olympic category of +75 kg forced them to find themselves competitors.
They did it brilliantly, at a very high level ! Poorshab finished 2nd in the ranking and Ganjzadeh 3rd ! The outcome could only produce injustice, Iran being able to present only one fighter. And it is Ganjzadeh who is qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, despite being 1000 points behind Poorshab. Explanations and their interviews.
By Ludovic Mauchien / Photo: Kphotos
He felt in tears after his successful ½ final. At the K1Lisbon last weekend, Zabiollah Poorshab did the job again. He will do it again the next day, by winning the -84 kg final. But he already knew it. Whatever he did, his fate eluded him in favor of Sajad Ganjzadeh, his brother-in-arms, who also finished on the podium in Portugal with a bronze medal (+84 kg). End of the Olympic selection for the 3-times World team champions.
Until the end, they would have fought an epic duel, of the highest caliber. With 11 medals, including 6 in gold on the Karate1, Zabiollah Poorshab finished 2nd in the Olympic ranking (behind Aktas). Sajad Ganjzadeh finished 3rd, 1000 points behind his compatriot. But he will still represent Iran at the Tokyo Olympics (August 5-7).
Why ? Because Ganjzadeh finished 1st in his non-Olympic category (+84 kg) and Poorshab “only” 2nd (in -84 kg). The latter, despite being 1,000 points ahead of Ganjzadeh in the standing, is thus eliminated. He did not hide his sadness and his incomprehension Sunday afternoon (see his interview). It’s unfair, but there it is… except Tuesday. A computer bug or a precision of the rules ? In the updated Olympic standing, Poorshab is qualified, Ganjzadeh eliminated. This has the consequence of qualifying Arkania (+84 kg) and eliminating Kvesic (-84 kg). The true sadness has changed soul. It is cruel but it erases a sport injustice : an athlete with 1000 points ahead of his opponent is not eliminated but qualified.
What does the regulation say (https://www.wkf.net/imagenes/campeonatos/olympicsgeneral_conditions_olympic_qualification-olympic-karate-tokyo-2020-002.pdf) ? It is specified that, when it comes to coupled categories, the two firsts of each (-60/-67 kg, -84/+84 kg ...) are qualified. But nowhere is there a question of favoring the 1st of one category over the 2nd of the other, although, since the launch of the Olympic standing, this seemed to be the rule.
Wednesday, turnaround. Computer bug or impossibility to modify the rules of a completed qualification course (under IOC) ? Sajad Ganjzadeh is qualified again (see his interview). Kvesic also so. Zabiollah Poorshab will not go to the Games.
Zabiollah Poorshab : « I don’t know why I am not qualified. This is not fair »
Sajad Ganjzadeh : « With Zabiollah, we’ve been in the team since I am 17 »
