Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa, President of the National Olympic Committee of Iran, and Secretary General Dr. Mahdi Alinejad met with Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Iranian Olympic silver medalist Nahid Kiani also attended the meeting.
Iran NOC; Tehran: During the
cordial exchange, Khosravi Vafa congratulated Coventry on her historic election
as the first female and first African President of the IOC, praising her as a
symbol of inspiration for women athletes worldwide. He officially invited her
to visit Iran, expressing that hosting her would be a great honor for the
Iranian Olympic family and a motivation for the country’s youth and athletes. President
Coventry warmly welcomed the invitation, expressing her interest in visiting
Iran in late 2026 or early 2027. She commended the close coordination between
the Iran NOC and IOC departments, describing it as “a model of constructive
collaboration.”
Nahid Kiani, in turn,
congratulated Coventry and shared her pride in seeing a former athlete and
successful woman lead the IOC, emphasizing the positive impact this will have on
the global advancement of women’s sport. Coventry congratulated Kiani on her
Paris 2024 silver medal and praised her sportsmanship and embodiment of Olympic
values, sharing personal memories from her own Olympic journey and the joy of
representing her nation on the podium. The visit also included several
technical meetings between IOC departments and the Iranian delegation to
discuss key areas of future cooperation.