Olympic Solidarity Course Held for Asian Games Team Managers

Iran NOC; Tehran: The course was attended by the team managers of the travelling teams, Dr. Mahdi Alinejad, Secretary-General of the National Olympic Committee; Dr. Asghar Rahimi, Chef de Mission of the Iranian delegation; Dr. Reza Shajie, Director of the National Teams Monitoring Centre; Mrs. Atefeh Eslamian, International Relations Director and specialist instructors. At the opening of the session, Dr. Amir Balzadeh, the National Olympic Committee’s Solidarity Director, explained the arrangements for the course and the coordination conducted with the International Olympic Committee, underlining the importance of the educational content.

Dr. Alinejad welcomed the participants and said: “We have held similar meetings with team managers of travelling teams before previous Games, but this course has its own particular importance and characteristics, and considerable issues will be raised. We request that all respected members attend this multi-day course.” Referring to the specific circumstances of the upcoming Games, he added: “This edition of the Asian Games has particular features. Before, we held an online meeting with officials of the Olympic Council of Asia and raised a number of issues. Given the absence of an Athletes’ Village, the dispersal of competitions across different venues and cities, and the different accommodation arrangements, team managers must pay close attention to these matters.”

The NOC Secretary-General also referred to the support provided for Iran participation, stating: “We are currently in special circumstances. Despite the imposed war and rising costs, the government has made every effort to support sending the Iranian delegation to these Games and has provided both foreign and domestic currency funding. Therefore, we expect the teams competing at these Games to face their opponents with maximum discipline and maximum effort.” He stressed that athletes would not be placed under excessive pressure, saying: “We know that sport involves both win and loss, and we do not intend to put pressure on athletes. However, we expect them to compete against their opponents with their utmost ability, because success in elite sport contributes to greater social vitality and national pride.”

Dr. Alinejad noted that arrangements regarding tickets, accommodation and travel procedures had already been planned, while alternative scenarios would also be considered should conditions change. Recalling the Iranian delegation’s participation in the Sanya Beach Asian Games, he said the delegation had travelled overland to Turkmenistan before continuing to Sanya, despite widespread doubts that it would be sent to the event, and had ultimately achieved positive results. In conclusion, he asked team managers to convey the issues raised during the course to technical staffs and athletes. NOC Secretray-General expressed confidence that, despite the war and the temporary closure of training camps, the determination of the athletes and the efforts of federations, coaching staffs and national team members would enable the delegation to achieve better results than in the previous edition.