Kazem Gilanpour; His Last Wish Was to Have His Ashes Scattered on the Summit of Damavand

I became acquainted with Kazem Gilanpour during my teenage years. I was in the second cycle of high school, and during winter, if my pocket money was sufficient, I would go to Abali with friends every two or three Fridays. I wasn't a skilled skier, but I loved the atmosphere there, and instead of skiing, we would go sledding. Gilanpour was a ski instructor there and was very busy. He had completed his coaching course in Chamonix, France. He had set up the first ski lift in Abali. He was both successful and busy. He was also a good mountaineer and an expert in this field. His ascent from the northern ridge to the summit of Damavand had doubled his credibility. All of this dates back to the years after 1951. He co-founded 'Kayhan Varzeshi' with Sadr al-Din Elahi, who had not yet obtained his doctorate from France, the first sports magazine independent of any club or organization. It was placed on newspaper stands in 12 pages for the price of three rials (1955). Gilanpour was proficient in English and French. He was the one who introduced the famous French sports newspaper 'L'Équipe' to sports enthusiasts in Iran. For over 20 years, he wrote continuously in 'Kayhan Varzeshi' in various roles, from editor-in-chief and commentator to reporter and journalist, and back to editor-in-chief. We were together on a trip to China. The first sports caravan from Iran to China took place in 1971: ping-pong diplomacy. Three journalists accompanied the delegation: Kazem Gilanpour from Kayhan, Jafar Dehghan from Ettela'at, and I from radio and television. I got to know him better during this trip. A serious and curious man in his work. He either wrote notes, took photos, or conducted interviews, and during the leisure time of the trip, he chatted with me and Dehghan. This was the only time we could get this calm and quiet man to talk. He shared his memories and the difficulties he faced in shaping the Abali ski resort and launching the ski lift. He spoke of Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Everest. When he talked about mountains, cold, and the whiteness of snow, you could feel the warmth of his heart! A memory! In 1972, the Iranian national football team was going to North Korea for the preliminary matches of the Munich Olympics to select Asia's football representative. One day, Abdolsttar Deldar, a mutual friend and colleague who worked in both radio and television and Kayhan Varzeshi, came to me and said Mr. Gilanpour wanted you to take the trouble to send a report for Kayhan Varzeshi during the trip to North Korea. I was surprised, so I called Gilanpour's office and asked what was going on. He said the SAVAK had not allowed 'Mahdi Dary' to accompany the national team, and therefore Kayhan Varzeshi would not have a reporter in North Korea, and we only obtained permission for our photographer, Baqer Zarafshan, for this trip. I replied that I would go at the expense of radio and television, and it was not right for my name to appear in the reports related to this trip in Kayhan. He said it was not a problem; write the reports in Baqer's name and send them. I agreed but asked why he didn't tell me directly and used Deldar as an intermediary? He said, first, I was considerate and hesitant, and secondly, I wanted you to feel comfortable if you intended to say no and tell Deldar! Gilanpour was a calm, considerate, shy, and reserved person. I didn't know until the last years that he had a son and a daughter. Until I spoke on the phone with Ms. Laleh and asked about Dad, and she handed the phone to Gilanpour. I also spoke with his son, Kaveh, when I no longer heard Gilanpour's voice on the phone. Kaveh said my father is no longer here; it was not appropriate for him to stay at home. He is in a nursing home... This calm and shy man had a sharp, bold, and straightforward pen when it came to sports and criticizing disorder without being considerate... The calm man rested in the small country of Andorra at the age of 95. A man whose last wish was to have his ashes scattered on the summit of Damavand.