TEHRAN – President of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Ilgar Rakhimov praised Iran’s para athletes and thought of the nation a number one nation within the Paralympic motion.
A senior Azerbaijani official stated that IBSA has pleasant relations with Iran’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC) and the Blind Sports Federation.
In an unique interview with Tehran Times, Rakhimov stated Iranian athletes are an energetic a part of the whole Paralympic motion.
Q: How do you consider Iran’s present stance in IBSA and Iran’s success within the Paralympics and Asian Para Games?
A: Iran is a developed nation on the planet of sports activities, particularly within the subject of Paralympics. In your nation, sports activities for visually impaired athletes are additionally growing very strongly. We actively cooperate with the Iranian Paralympic Committee and the Iranian Blind Sports Federation, which is an official member of IBSA. We want to inform you that we not solely cooperate with the leaders of those organizations, but additionally have pleasant relations with Mr. Ghafoor Karegari and Mr. Mohammad Reza Mazroumi. I drastically respect and thank them for his or her contribution to the event of incapacity sport. We meet frequently in numerous boards and contests to debate points.
Q: Tell us about Iranian officers on the world stage. Has their efficiency thus far been passable?
A: Your nation’s representatives are energetic on numerous sports activities committees of IBSA, are worldwide judges, and worldwide medical classifiers. For instance, Nezam Dodel is the chairman of the IBSA Powerlifting Committee. The committee he heads contains many Iranian representatives. Fariba Mohammadi is the Women’s Development Committee member of the IBSA Goalball Committee. Morteza Najafi is among the most certified IBSA classifiers. We all work on the identical group. Therefore, I’m nicely conscious of the event of sports activities in Iran and naturally observe the sports activities information of this nation.
–As , Iranian blind soccer gained a silver medal at Rio 2016, and athletes from different sports activities have additionally been attracting consideration. As IBSA president, what do you assume is essentially the most well-known sport for the visually impaired in Iran?
A: IBSA sports activities is growing very strongly in Iran. Your nation’s athletes all the time carry out successfully in all his IBSA competitions, whether or not they’re totally different sports activities competitions or IBSA multi-sport competitions. In addition, Iranian visually impaired athletes have gained many awards in competitions held beneath the auspices of the IPC. Therefore, it is vitally tough to single out a particular sport. Your group has carried out equally nicely in competitions similar to blind soccer and goalball competitions, IBSA judo competitions, and powerlifting. Iranian groups are all the time on the forefront by way of competitions and match outcomes.
Of course, the following Paris Paralympic Games are additionally approaching. IBSA will probably be representing three sports activities in these video games: judo, soccer, and goalball. It is already identified that the Iranian males’s group will probably be represented within the goalball competitors. Many para-judoka out of your nation are ranked excessive within the judo competitors, and can have the ability to take part within the competitors in Paris. We hope all of the gamers out of your nation will symbolize Iran in these video games.
Q: Who is essentially the most influential Iranian visually impaired athlete within the Paralympic Games?
A: I’m not going to single out any particular person gamers. I do know lots of them personally. I understand how a lot they assist their nation and wish to win each competitors. Sports is their life. This is your probability to determine your place in society. And every is a hero with a capital letter.
Q: Please inform us your opinion about feminine athletes in Iran. Which sport or athlete do you assume lived as much as expectations?
A: Iranian athletes are actively collaborating within the general Paralympic motion. There are many well-known names amongst them. Not solely Iranian women, however many athletes from different nations additionally look as much as them and their successes. It is sufficient to point out names like Zahra Nemati. She is a legend in all world sports activities. Sale Javanmardi, Hashemye Motagyan and others. I might additionally like to concentrate to the quickly growing girls’s goalball group. As in another nation, there may be nonetheless work to be completed, however with the highlight on the event of sports activities in Iran, new names for Iranian feminine athletes will shine within the close to future.
Q: I’ve a query concerning the classification of visually impaired individuals in sports activities. For instance, judo gamers and soccer gamers can also drive automobiles. Please inform me extra about how the classification is completed.
A: Classification is among the most necessary and distinctive points of all para sports activities and is one thing that always evolves as new analysis, information, and know-how turns into out there.
Unique to IBSA, and previous to my election, after years of analysis and collaboration with specialists and the broader neighborhood, a brand new hierarchy in Judo was launched in 2021. An identical course of is in place for blind soccer and goalball.
When I used to be elected IBSA President seven months in the past, I made it a precedence to launch a contemporary evaluate of the IBSA’s classification and programs throughout all sports activities. All worldwide federations and the Paralympic Movement as an entire acknowledge that, like all programs, classification can and must be regularly reviewed so that everybody has confidence within the course of. doing. This is essential.
Q: Are you glad with the work of your group?
A: It has been lower than a 12 months since my election, however thus far I imagine we have now laid the inspiration for a brand new period for IBSA.
When I used to be elected, I promised IBSA members that the brand new Board would reply to their wants and the wants of our athletes within the ever-evolving surroundings wherein all of us function.
In a brief time period, we have been in a position to strengthen the athlete voice and put together for a complete evaluate of IBSA’s actions. We additionally introduced in new operational, anti-doping and communications experience, and specialised in these capabilities with additional plans for finance and classification.
There remains to be a lot work to do, however I imagine we’re on monitor.