Statements in Meeting with Members of Iran's Delegation to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Remaining One of God among the worlds.

I am very pleased to have once again the opportunity to meet with a group of the dearest children of this country. Our dear young athletes, who are a source of pride, truly and undoubtedly, are a cause of dignity and honor for Iran.

This year, in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, one observed a special brilliance. Of course, following the details in sports and news is not feasible for me, but I am generally aware of the events, as much as time allows me to see or hear. This year was very prominent, very good. You made the nation happy and created a sense of pride in the Iranian nation. I sincerely thank all the medalists, all the athletes, all the coaches, all the stakeholders, the Ministry of Sports, the Olympic Committee, the heads of federations, and other involved parties; I am sincerely grateful to all of them. You took sports seriously; that is exactly how it should be, it must be taken seriously. Sports should not be viewed as a mere display; it is a serious matter. Mr. Danyamali, the esteemed minister, spoke very well and comprehensively here; he mentioned the various dimensions of the impact of sports: it has social impact, psychological impact, diplomatic impact, and it is an important and fundamental act in public diplomacy; it has various effects and collectively elevates the country; therefore, the issue of sports must be taken seriously.

Well, the points have been made; I will present a few notes. One point is that in international sports and global arenas, it is not only physical strength and sports skills that are demonstrated, but also the spiritual strength and self-confidence of the Iranian nation are showcased to the adversaries; this is very important. The fact that this dear girl, for example, dedicates her medal to the children of Gaza or Palestine, is very meaningful in the world. Or that they name the caravan, for instance, "Khadim al-Ridha" (Servant of the Imam Ridha), carries great significance. The preservation of hijab by these female athletes, or that our athlete and champion does not shake hands with a foreign woman when presenting her award, is very meaningful.

This demonstrates self-confidence; it shows that the Iranian values his identity, values his identity; national identity and religious and Islamic identity; this was fully manifested this year; it was demonstrated. The Palestinian flag was displayed. Our athlete comes with his friends holding the Palestinian flag, taking a selfie, as you say; these are very valuable, this is very significant. I do not overlook these matters at all; I emphasize each of these and interpret each of these actions for the people in my mind and on my tongue. Therefore, one point is that you, in the field of sports, in addition to physical strength, in addition to sports skills and physical abilities, also demonstrated a spiritual capability, you presented identity as well. We should appreciate and value this; this is one point.

Another point is what this Iranian identity is; this is important. "Distortion" is one of the common tools of the world in the past, present, and surely in the future. They distort a nation; they reflect the truth of its beliefs and its innermost feelings differently to the world; what is the way to counter this? Well, suppose we write a book in response to those who want to propagate that Iranians' religious sentiments have weakened; how many people will read the book? How many will see it? How many will understand it? But you, in front of the eyes of millions of people, perhaps hundreds of millions who are watching the Olympic arena, reflect this truth by kissing the Quran, by prostrating on the ground, by thanking God; you reflect this identity. The identity of the Iranian nation is self-confidence, a desire for national greatness for its own country; the identity of the Iranian nation is adherence to religious beliefs, adherence to Islam, adherence to the Ahl al-Bayt. The sacred names of the Imams (peace be upon them) and religious sanctities in your presentation at the Olympics are eye-catching. This is the second point, that you specify what the identity of the Iranian nation is; both the religious identity and the political identity. Your support for Palestine is one of the important actions.

Another point is that our athletes have shown that when they participate in global arenas, they feel a national and transnational responsibility on their shoulders; this is very important. Your dignified behavior, the measured movements and rationality governing your actions indicate that our athlete feels that in this arena — the international arena — he has an additional responsibility, a national responsibility on his shoulders, apart from ordinary responsibilities; this is also very valuable; and in my opinion, what you dear athletes, our dear champions have shown in this regard is very valuable.

Another point regarding athletes who have physical challenges is the hope they inspire; this young person who, in a wheelchair, manages to showcase a physical strength honor in front of hundreds of millions of people, creates hope; some become hopeless due to minor incidents in their bodies, you give them hope; this is very valuable. This is another point. I thank all these dear ones.

Another thing that was noticeable this year in the Olympic Games was the double standards of the countries governing international sports issues; they truly showed that double and biased policies dominate their behavior. They deprive a certain government, a certain country because it has started a war somewhere, but they do not deprive the Zionist regime, which has killed thousands of children, over 41,000 people in about a year, from the games! Well, this is double standards, this is biased; this is the same point we always make, and some interpret it as exaggeration; it is not exaggeration. They say "sports is not political," while they exercise the most political bias in sports and demonstrate it. This is also the issue.

My recommendation to you athletes is to maintain these honors outside the field of sports as well; that is, respect for religion, respect for ethics, respect for the religious, ethical, and political responsibilities that you showcase in the field, in front of the eyes of the world, should also be maintained outside the field. You are role models; young people look up to you; your behavior can serve as a model for many. Observe religious, political, ethical, and social considerations outside the sports field, in your ordinary life, while walking in the street, in the work environment; observe them and, by God's grace, may you receive multiplied rewards.

There are several responsibilities regarding the government that fortunately the esteemed minister mentioned; I also noted them to say: one is the issue of talent identification; from adolescence in high school, and some sports in elementary school, talent identification must be done, and our children, our youth who have talent in various sports must be prepared; they must prepare themselves to excel.

Another point is special attention to medal-rich sports and also to the sports in which we have historically excelled; for example, wrestling. Now, I have previously mentioned Iranian special sports that the minister also mentioned; for instance, this traditional Iranian sport; if you can open a place in international arenas, Asian sports, Olympic sports, and showcase the Iranian wrestling arena, this traditional sport, it is both beautiful and meaningful, and has a special order that differs from the order governing today's sports in the world, which is mostly Western in origin — of course mostly, not all — this has a different order, a different form, a different system governing it; showcase this to the world. Or polo, which has been mentioned and I have previously mentioned.

One more point and recommendation to government officials is not to overlook the athlete who pays the price for his national or religious ideals. Our athlete does not compete with the Zionist; he does not play with him, and for this, he pays a price; we must not overlook the situation of this athlete. This, in my opinion, is one of the important duties of sports officials.

Another recommendation is the livelihood of athletes — the same issue that our dear athlete mentioned here — their livelihood, their employment, their sports needs, which must be addressed by the government to the best of its ability. Well, the minister made many promises; God willing, they will be able to fulfill these promises in due time.

Another point is attention to public sports, which should not be neglected; of course, I am a supporter of full attention to professional sports and competitive sports and have said so many times, but this should not distract us from public sports. People must all engage in sports; this does not currently exist in our country. Many young people, many of our youth do not engage in sports. Young people must engage in sports, middle-aged people must engage in sports, and the elderly must engage in sports; everyone has a sport according to their condition and ability; everyone must engage in sports. This public sports practice reduces many costs for the country; not only physical costs like health and such, but also moral costs.

The last point — which I have previously emphasized and discussed — is support for Iranian coaches. Today, in several countries, Iranian coaches have been hired and are working, but we ourselves use fewer Iranian coaches and seek foreign coaches. An Iranian coach is Iranian and is more familiar with the spirit and atmosphere of the country.

We hope that God Almighty will grant success to you athletes and to the esteemed sports officials in various sectors so that you can carry out your tasks in the best possible way. I am also pleased that, thanks be to God, sports are progressing, and this progress must continue, God willing.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.