Thousands pay final respects to kolbar-turned-boxing hero
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - On Friday, thousands of people gathered in Saqqez to pay their final respects to Fariyar Aminipour, a young kolbar whose journey from humble beginnings to Muay Thai stardom was tragically cut short at the age of 23.
Aminipour died in the Thai city of Phuket on January 11. Police said he passed away from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.
The Kurdish athlete had beaten world-famous rivals in his rise to the top level of Muay Thai, or Thai boxing.
A massive crowd of mourners attended his funeral on Friday when he was buried in his hometown of Saqqez, Kurdistan province, Iran.
In an interview that he had shared on social media, Aminipour said he started practicing the sport at the age of 10 and followed his passion to Thailand where he had a contract.
In a statement after his death, his gym said he joined the team in late 2022 with only amateur experience and "skyrocketed in the professional Muay Thai world, defeating huge names of the sport on ONE Lumpinee events and becoming a top 10 ranked fighter."
"At only 23 years old, lion-hearted Fariyar had already accomplished so much, and was well on track to achieving his dream of becoming a ONE world champion. Gone far, far too soon due to a tragic accident, Fariyar will be missed greatly and will remain in all of our thoughts," the statement continued.
Aminipour said he had dedicated his life to providing for his family and his elderly parents. Before he found boxing fame, he worked as a kolbar, a porter carrying goods across the Kurdistan Region-Iran border.
"I take care of the expenses and provide for the family," Aminipour said.
The kolbar profession is semi-legal in Iran and those who risk their lives to carry heavy burdens over the mountainous border face frequent and at times deadly harassment from Iranian authorities.
As the world welcomed the new year, he wrote on his Instagram: "2023 was a very good year, I thank God, but I will enter 2024 in the best style."