Hassan Pakandam

Hassan Pakandam (; May 19, 1934 in Tehran – July 16, 2013 in Tehran) was a member of Iran senior national boxing team from 1955, continuously until 1965, and a member of Tehran Taj Boxing Club from 1950 to 1965, boxing in the 60, 63.5, and 67 kg divisions. He was a well-built, skilled, swift, and intelligent all-around boxer. His recognized punch was a powerful cross. He participated at the 1958 Asian Games, and also as team captain at the 1964 Summer Olympics, in the Lightweight division and was also selected for the Lightweight division of the Iranian national boxing team, to participate in the 1962 Asian Games.

Boxing career Pakandam joined the Niroo va Rasti (Power and Virtue) Club in 1949 at the age of fifteen. In 1950, he became a member of Tehran Taj Boxing Club, and with the club team played his first official senior match in Ankara, Turkey, representing Iran, in 1953 at the age of nineteen. He participated in numerous international and national matches with Tehran Taj boxing team, representing Iran, up to 1955, when he was officially selected for Iran senior national boxing team. The Tehran Taj boxing club made the backbone of the senior national boxing team for the next decade, including the team that participated in the 1958 Asian Games, in Tokyo, managing to rank second, considering medal counts, and fifth in the overall boxing table.

In Tokyo 1958, the Iranian boxers at the 1958 Asian Games were participating for the first time in the Third Asian Games, with a team of nine boxers.

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.

In March 1963, as a prelude to selecting Iran's national boxing team for the 1964 Summer Olympics, the All - Tehran boxing competition was organized by Iran Boxing Federation, in which Pakandam defeated all his opponents and became champion of the tournament in the Welterweight division. In the round of 32 of the Lightweight division of the boxing competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics, in which Pakandam represented Iran national boxing team as Iranian 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.

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. Pakandam had become Iran national boxing champion in the Welterweight category a year before the 1964 Summer Olympics, the experienced and famous Iran national boxing coach, who had successfully coached Pakandam in the national boxing team and Taj club, for around a decade,

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.