Preliminary rounds in the categories of 54, 63, 76 and 97 kg were held this morning in which three Iranian wrestlers took part.

In the first round in 63 kg category, Mehdi Nasiri from Iran easily defeated his opponent Vladimir Tatarski from Yugoslavia with 7-0 points.

But Sayyad Hossein Marashian in the 76 kg category was defeated in both the first and second rounds. In the first round he lost to wang Sileng from China by 1-3 in extra time.

In the second round, Dimitris Avramis of Greece defeated Marashian 4-0 in extra time.

In the 54 kg category, Alfred ter Myrtchyan from Germany defeated Hassan Rangraz from Iran with a tko (11-0) in the second minute of the game.

According to the evening programme, Rasoul Jazini is to fight Josip Pavisic from Croatia in the 97 kg category in the first round, Mehdi Nasiri will face Park Young-Shin from Korea in the second round of the 63 kg and Hassan Rangraz will fight Salah Belguidoum from France in the 54 kg.

The official opening ceremony of the wrestling games - taking place at the large stadium of "peace and friendship" in the Palaio Faliro suburb of Athens - will be held today evening.