In new seasons of the podcasts, Amazing Sport Stories and Mostanad, the BBC World Service brings Legend of Takhti in English and Persian.
A collaboration between BBC World Service English and BBC News Persian, these podcasts tell the story of Iran’s iconic wrestler Gholamreza Takhti whose sudden death in 1968 shook the nation.
Legend of Takhti / Ostureh Takhti is a personal journey for presenter Rana Rahimpour, as she tells the story of this extraordinary athlete who was the first Iranian wrestler to win a medal at an international competition, an Olympic and world champion seen as an embodiment of the spirit of Iran. He was well loved, even by those who fought against him. Then, in January 1968, Takhti was found dead in a Tehran hotel room.
Rahimpour takes a deep dive into the complicated relationship between Iran and its heroes – and explores the way that legends, myths and rumours can eclipse the personalities at the heart of a story. Looking at how she feels connected to Takhti’s story, Rahimpour says: “There was this man I felt I knew all my life, yet I realised I knew so little about him. I felt an urge to uncover the truth and answer the question: who was Gholamreza Takhti?”
Through the years, the myth of Takhti endures as he is remembered as both a strongman and a gentle, charitable figure. Sport, politics, and power intertwine in the narrative as Rahimpour brings listeners to the heart of what it means to be a nation’s hero – and why Takhti continues to inspire Iranians today. Whatever the truth, it seems that everyone has their own version of him.
Amazing Sport Stories: Legend of Takhti is produced by Lucy Greenwell and Alex Hollands and is a Storyglass Production for the BBC World Service. The four-part Persian-language version of the podcast, Mostanad: Ostureh Takhti, is produced by BBC News Persian’s Sam Farzaneh.
For UK-based audiences, Amazing Sport Stories: Legend of Takhti will be available a week early on BBC Sounds from Monday 19 August, and from Monday 26 August on most other podcast platforms. There will be three episodes, released weekly. The series will air weekly on BBC World Service radio from Saturday 5 October.
For audiences outside the UK, Amazing Sport Stories: Legend of Takhti will be available from Monday 26 August wherever you get your BBC podcasts. BBC Podcasts Premium subscribers can listen to episodes a week early, starting on Monday 19 August.
The four-part Persian-language version of the podcast, Mostanad: Ostureh Takhti, is produced by BBC News Persian’s Sam Farzaneh. This version will be released in four weekly instalments on podcast platforms and via the website bbc.com/persian from Monday 26 August.
