Hassan Pakandam

Hassan Pakandam
Statistics
Rated at	Lightweight
Nationality	Iranian
Born	(1934-05-19)May 19, 1934 Tehran, Iran
Died	July 16, 2013(2013-07-16) Tehran, Iran
Stance	Orthodox

Hassan Pakandam (Persian: حسن پاک اندام‎, born May 19, 1934 Tehran - deceased July 16, 2013 Tehran^[1]) was a member of Iran senior national Boxing team, who participated as team captain at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the Lightweight division.^[2]

Boxing career

Pakandam became a member of Tehran Taj Boxing Club in 1950 and played his first official match with Taj boxing team facing a foreign team, representing Iran, in 1952. He joined the senior Iranian national boxing team in 1955, and was a member, continuously until 1965, boxing in the 60, 63.5, and 67 kg divisions. He was a well-built, skilled, swift, and intelligent boxer. His recognized punch was a powerful cross. He participated at the 1958 Asian Games,^[3] and 1964 Summer Olympics,^[4] and was also selected for the 1962 Asian Games, in the Lightweight division, as a member of the Iranian national boxing team.

In Tokyo 1958, the Iranian national boxing team was participating for the first time in the Asian Games, with nine boxers.^[5] Pakandam which was a member of the team, in the 60 kg division, faced Chung Dong-Hoon from South Korea. After multiple injuries were inflicted to his face during their match, he finally lost on points. Chung Dong-Hoon went on to win the gold medal of the division.^[6][7]

In 1962, bringing on the experience of the previous Asian Games, and numerous matches, following extensive training, a very ready Pakandam, at the peak of his boxing career, was selected for Jakarta, Indonesia, 1962 Asian Games, succeeding Iran national championship matches held in Tehran, after defeating all opponents decisively. Later on, Iran National Olympic Committee decided not to participate in the games, with any sports team, mentioning lack of adequate budget, as the reason.^[8]

In the round of 32 of the boxing competition of the 1964 Summer Olympics, in which Pakandam represented Iran national boxing team as a captain, he faced Stoyan Pilichev from Bulgaria, and due to a cut above his eye, and bleeding, the referee stopped the contest (RSC), in the third round. Pilichev advanced to the quarterfinals, in which he lost to Józef Grudzień from Poland; the eventual gold medal winner.^[9]

In an interview in 1976, about the 1964 Summer Olympics, Pakandam told Maria Sadeghi Lahijani, a Tehran University journalism student, writing her university thesis; "Iran in the 1964 Summer Olympics", that the Iranian boxing team participants, including himself, had to reduce their weight to a great amount before the tournament started resulting in their excess weakness. Non of the Iranian boxing team participants were able to reach the quarter finals. In the interview he said that in order to face experienced and powerful opponents in a tournament such as the Summer Olympics, extensive planning and preparedness was required, something the Iranian boxing team lacked at that time. The Iranian national boxing team did not have participants for all weight categories, before the tournament started, and they only participated with five boxers. He mentioned that he helped train his team mates during the tournament, since their coach was not very experienced. Unfortunately Petros Nazarbegian the experienced and famous Iran national boxing coach, who had successfully coached Pakandam in the national boxing team and Taj club, for more than a decade,^[10] had retired from national coaching, before the important tournament. Pakandam also stated that if he had competed in a higher weight division, instead of the 60 kg division, advancing further in the tournament was possible. He retired from championship boxing and the Iranian national boxing team, a year after the 1964 Summer Olympics.^[11]

Personal

Pakandam was born near Abshar alley, Rey street, Tehran, Iran, where he grew up. He married in 1970 and his son was born in 1971. As a main profession, he worked for the Telecommunication Company of Iran until retirement.

External links

• http://www.photoaman.com/photoview-34130-710-37.html
• http://www.photoaman.com/photoview-34129-710-37.html
• http://www.iranbasketball.org/news/fed-news/2191-1392-04-26-11-21-06

References