Hungarian Szalay has left the role he held for six years after Iranian weightlifters returned with just three medals from the event, all of which were won by Kianoush Rostami.

The 24-year-old, last year’s world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, was third in the 85 kilograms snatch competition and earned silver in the clean and jerk, with his combined total of 387kg proving enough to secure overall silver behind Artem Okulov of Russia.

The Iranians finished in 11th place on the World Championships medal table.

Their performances have prompted Moradi, elected President of the IWF in April and will serve in the role until 2019, to take action and he claimed the decision was made with a view to increasing their chances of winning medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“I am not satisfied with our results in the IWF World Weightlifting Championships,” he told Team Iran website.

“I think we need reforms in our team now.

“We need time and from now on we think about 2020 Olympics.”

Iran’s chances of success at the event in Houston, which was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center from November 20 to 28, suffered a blow before the competition got underway as super heavyweight Behdad Salimi, the Olympic over 105kg champion, was forced to withdraw after he sustained a serious injury in a training incident.

The London 2012 Olympic gold medallist had to be helped off the field before a MRI scan revealed that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

Salimi’s injury came after the absence of heavyweight Saeid Mohammadpour was confirmed in October.

The 2011 world bronze medallist dislocated his elbow while attempting to lift 190kg at an event in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

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