The 31st Annual General Assembly of the Federation was held on Saturday, August 16, 2025 (25 Mordad 1404), chaired by Dr. Esbaghian, Deputy of Elite and Professional Sports Development at the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
According to the Federation’s Public Relations office, the meeting was attended by prominent figures including Dr. Ghafour Kargari (President) and Dr. Samimi (Secretary-General of the National Paralympic Committee), Dr. Farhadizadeh (Vice-President for Women’s Affairs of the National Olympic Committee), Kamyar Soltani (Director General of Federation Affairs Office), and other assembly members. Provincial representatives joined online via webinar.
Highlights from Dr. Koohpayehzadeh’s Opening Remarks
Dr. Jalil Koohpayehzadeh, the Federation President, opened the session by expressing condolences for the mourning of Imam Hussein and highlighted the Federation’s full execution of its operational plan in the past year.
The Federation celebrated a highly successful year marked by numerous medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, world records broken by national athletes, and the first-ever world championship title for the seven-a-side national football team.
Athletes under the Federation’s umbrella won 67% of Iran’s total Paralympic medals and 43% of all medals at both the Olympic and Paralympic events, underscoring the Federation’s critical role in Iran’s international sports achievements.
This success resulted from years of dedicated planning, talent identification and nurturing, relentless athlete efforts, and effective cooperation of coaches, technical staff, and specialized managers.
The achievements boost hope and motivation in the sports community and double the Federation’s responsibility for continuous development, targeted support of champions, and maintaining Iran’s position in professional sports worldwide.
Key Federation Developments
Justice in sports development nationwide, especially in provincial federations, which are frontline in athlete identification and preparation for the national team.
Smart digitalization initiatives including electronic registration systems for athletes, coaches, referees, and classifiers, plus electronic health record preparation.
Planned launch in September 2025 of an electronic talent identification software focused on para-athletes to reduce travel costs and improve classification processes.
Development of a software platform allowing people with disabilities to exercise at home with virtual or personal coaches, promoting public sports participation.
Reinstatement of para archery, led by Zahra Nemati, reforming the national para archery team.
Financial and Operational Summary
Despite an expected budget of 25 billion tomans, only 11.6 billion tomans were allocated.
The Federation organized 24 training camps, 20 national and regional championships, and sent 117 athletes to overseas competitions, resulting in many international medals and Iran’s flag raised on global stages.
Mental Disability Sports
Noting the large population of individuals with intellectual disabilities, Dr. Koohpayehzadeh expressed hope for the establishment of an independent federation for intellectual disability sports, acknowledging progress made but emphasizing the remaining work.
Sports Diplomacy and Classifications
Currently, 12 Federation members hold 15 international positions.
Approximately 2,100 individuals underwent classification in the previous year, with a gender distribution of 70% male and 30% female.
Congratulations on Zahra Nemati’s Asia Best Official Award
The President hailed Nemati’s achievement as a proud milestone, highlighting that choosing a celebrated Iranian Paralympian as Asia’s Best Official showcases the high capacities of Iranian athletes in executive and managerial roles.
The Federation is strategically focused on creating platforms to empower former champions to become skilled managers, coaches, and decision-makers.
Providing equal opportunities facilitates active and effective involvement of champions across management levels.
Nemati’s recognition is not just personal success but a testament to the success of this developmental path and serves as an inspiring model for other athletes.
Top Provincial Federations of 1403 (2024-2025)
Group Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3
A Razavi Khorasan (1391 points) Isfahan (1376 points) Mazandaran (1353 points)
B Zanjan (1057 points) Golestan (1041 points) Kermanshah (979 points)
C Hormozgan (1058 points) Qazvin (1042 points) Sistan and Baluchestan (804 points)
Hormozgan Province showed remarkable improvement, rising 12 ranks to 5th place nationally, earning the highest growth performance.
Assembly Resolutions
The Assembly approved the 1403 annual performance report, financial reports, disciplinary regulation amendments, and the Federation’s 1404 operational plan.
This report reflects the Federation’s dedication to advancing veterans and disabled sports in Iran, emphasizing sustained growth, inclusivity, and excellence on national and international stages.
