János Varga, Athlete of the Nation and Olympic champion wrestler has passed away

János Varga was born on October 21, 1939, in Abony, Hungary where he was introduced to the basics of wrestling, and later completed his unparalleled career in Budapest Honvéd. On the mat, he showed tremendous self-discipline, endurance, and extraordinary physicality. He won a total of ten international medals, including five golds.

He is one of six Hungarian wrestlers who can claim to be an Olympic, a World and a European champion. He was one of the best in the world in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle, winning his first world title with a broken rib in 1963, while he and István Kozma were on the top of the podium in 1968 at the Mexico City Olympics.

János Varga never turned his back on the mat after his competitive career; he worked as a coach for Honvéd Budapest and the junior national team. He earned his Master Coach certification, and his athletes Árpád Sípos and József Faragó became European champions. He also worked as an international competition referee.

Varga was elected the Athlete of the Nation in 2018, and the wrestling hall of his hometown Abony, which was inaugurated this year,bears his name.

The Ministry of Defense, the Hungarian Defense Forces, the Hungarian Olympic Committee, the Hungarian Wrestling Federation, and his hometown of Abony will provide János Varga a funeral with military honors, which will be arranged soon.

Translated by Vanda Orosz