In a webinar held on August 18, 2025 (28 Mordad 1404), officials from the Veterans and Disabled Sports Federation met with provincial committees to discuss strategies for developing veterans and disabled sports at national and international levels. The session highlighted the crucial role of close interaction with the media as a key tool in promoting the achievements of champions in this field.
According to the Public Relations office of Disabled Sports Federation, attendees included Dr. Samimi (Secretary-General of the National Paralympic Committee), Dr. Koohpayehzadeh (President), Nezami (Secretary-General), Dr. Pourhossein (Media Advisor), Dr. Ofoghi (Head of Education and Performance Evaluation Center), Big Rezaei (Director of Elite Sports Development), Mandgarfard (Head of Provincial Affairs), Mostafavi (Head of Talent Identification and Student Committee), Keshfia (Head of Sitting Volleyball Association and East Azerbaijan Provincial Committee), and Hadizadeh (Head of Para Athletics Association).
Media’s Role in Promoting Disabled Sports
Dr. Koohpayehzadeh emphasized the growing importance of media in promoting veterans and disabled sports, stating:
“Media plays a key role in introducing champions with disabilities, and active engagement with provincial media is essential.”
He highlighted that leveraging media capacity helps raise public awareness and motivates people with disabilities to participate in sports.
Achievements in 1403 and League Enhancements
The Federation President noted significant achievements in major sports arenas like the Paris Paralympics and the successful organization of league and national championship competitions per the sports calendar. The focus for the current year is on strengthening leagues by utilizing the capacities of clubs and financial sponsors through single-discipline federations.
Paralympic Week as a Showcase
Dr. Samimi described Paralympic Week as a primary platform for introducing disabled sports to the broader community and encouraged provincial committees to actively participate in making the events spectacular alongside the Federation and National Paralympic Committee.
Content Production and Champion Recognition
Dr. Pourhossein stressed the necessity of producing media content and capturing visuals of veterans and disabled sports champions, underlining:
“Documenting your efforts at the provincial level through news archives and imagery plays a crucial role in introducing the champions and key activities.”
Collaboration for Development
Big Rezaei highlighted the need for provincial committees to pay close attention to Federation announcements and maintain constructive interactions to collectively expand disabled sports throughout the country.
Importance of Educational Courses
Dr. Ofoghi emphasized the significance of coaching and refereeing educational courses for advancing veterans and disabled sports and requested provinces to timely communicate their training needs for inclusion in the Federation’s education calendar.
Provincial Feedback
The session concluded with feedback and opinions shared by the heads of Ardabil and Golestan provincial committees.
