BISHKEK, June 15(Mehr News Agency) -- Majid Charkhasht an Iranian who is caring Olympic Peace Messenger to Beijing arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia on Saturday.

The Olympic Peace Messenger

Iran's Olympic Peace Messenger Majid Charkhasht was born in January 1972 to a large traditional family in Tehran.

In early adolescence Charkhasht became interested in martial arts and trained in the Kung Fu style under the supervision of experienced instructors including Messrs. Mirmohammadi and Moradi, becoming highly adept in the sport. In 1992, he was invited by the Iranian Taekwondo federation to continue training in Sahra Sports Club with masters Akbar Soltani, Farzad and Farshad Tehranifar and Abbas Esmaili. Nine months later he went to Fajre-Sepah Sports Club.

After a period of consecutive matches Majid Charkhasht was invited by then head of Iran's Boxing Federation Mr. Nateq Nouri and later Mr. Ardalan to join the Iranian national boxing squad, an invitation he rejected because boxing was just not in Majid's spirit.

Later at the behest of Iran's Federation for San Shou and his former instructors, Majid joined the squad participating in the West Asian Games in 1996, winning his way to the final. That year the West Asian champion would receive a place in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. But when one of his opponents was critically injured in an unexpected accident, Majid decided to give up martial arts forever and forgo his dream to be part of the Olympic Games, although the dream stayed on.

In 2004 Majid's aspirations for the Olympics were realized in another way. He was appointed Iran's Peace Messenger to the Games and was invited to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

As he had held on to his athletic life, Majid decided to partake in the event in a symbolic cultural-sports manner. He started professional roller skating, training in clubs and on the streets to prepare for the journey that would take him through Iran and Turkey before arriving in Greece.

To prepare for the journey to Greece, Majid skated home from work every day for four years, putting every effort in getting ready for the Olympic Games.

Program

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