Iran’s national athletics team’s long-awaited participation in the Asian Championships in Hong Kong has been canceled.
Officially, the Athletics Federation cited “visa issues” as the reason, but for many, the excuse is too thin to cover the deeper story beneath.
Athletes on the team tell a different tale. They say their federation president, Ehsan Haddadi, and his officials deliberately blocked their path to Hong Kong and sabotaged the team’s hopes.
Haddadi, once an Olympic medalist, now stands accused of building a “corrupt empire” within the federation, using its growing budget to enrich himself while athletes struggle for support.
Critics argue that his actions have gone unchecked, leading to years of missed opportunities for Iranian athletes who work tirelessly to bring honor to their country.
A source close to the federation told IranWire that Haddadi’s empire extends beyond simple neglect.
According to the source, Haddadi is more preoccupied with securing his own monthly salary, bonuses, and questionable withdrawals from the federation’s funds than with the dreams of the athletes he was appointed to serve.
They say his control over the budget has become a weapon he wields to hold back talent - keeping Iranian athletes from competing abroad whenever possible.
Haddadi’s recent manoeuvring only deepens his controversial image. In the wake of protests, he supports the authorities, heaping exaggerated praise on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a bid to consolidate his influence within the government.
Yet his critics wonder, how far can he go? How much more will he take?
Meanwhile, the effects of Haddadi’s reign ripple through the lives of Iran’s athletes. Jalil Naseri, a national sprinter who once dreamed of the podium, won’t be on the plane to Hong Kong.
Struggling with financial hardship, Naseri has traded the track for a job as a security guard, and his personal life is in pieces.
He says his wife has filed for divorce, citing their financial strain. In a time when the federation’s budget is at an all-time high, athletes like Naseri are left to pay the price of one man’s ambition.
When Are Iranian Athletes Kept from Competing Abroad?
On October 24, the Tabnak news website reported that the Athletics Federation had “refused” to send Iran’s cross-country team to the Asian Championships, citing “delays in visa issuance.”
The report emphasized that the Athletics Federation, like some other sports federations, often uses the excuse of visa denials from foreign embassies to prevent athletes from participating in international events.
Blocking athletes or sports teams from leaving the country for international competitions is nothing new.
Decisions on sending athletes abroad, even for training camps, fall under the jurisdiction of the International Affairs Council within the Ministry of Sports and Youth. The council comprises members from security and intelligence agencies, along with select sports federation officials.
Even after the council’s approval, the federation’s security office or officials sometimes block athletes’ trips with overt reasons or covert excuses.
The issue most commonly arises when athletes plan training camps or competitions in Europe or the United States. Fears of athletes defecting in these regions have made federation officials and council members even more cautious.
However, it’s rare for a sports federation to cancel participation in an official Asian competition after securing approval from the Ministry’s International Affairs Council, citing “visa issues.”
Why Weren’t Iranian Runners Sent to Hong Kong?
Before news broke of the Athletics Federation canceling the team’s trip to the Asian Championships, Iran Varzeshi newspaper reported on October 20 that the athletes’ trip to Hong Kong was likely off.
According to their report, “The Athletics Federation was notified about the competition on July 30. The athletes’ documents were submitted to the Hong Kong embassy on August 22. With all steps taken and only travel funding pending, why was the trip canceled?”
The official Iran Varzeshi report subtly pointed to the issue: “Only the travel funding remained.”
The paper anticipated that the Athletics Federation might claim a lack of athlete preparedness or poor results as a reason for the cancellation, noting that the excuse wouldn’t hold since the Iranian junior and senior cross-country teams took home a team silver and multiple individual medals last year.
On October 24, the team’s coach Ruhollah Golestani told the media, “Sending athletes abroad comes with expenses, which the federations must bear. These aren’t unreasonable costs - they’re for things like uniforms, camps, and athletes’ stipends. Yet, the Federation decided not to participate in this competition.”
He stressed that the team’s absence at the Asian Championships was only due to the Federation’s refusal to allocate the necessary funds.
What Do We Know About the Federation’s Budget?
According to an IranWire source, Athletics Federation president Ehsan Haddadi has advised athletes in various fields to seek personal sponsors if they wish to compete internationally. The request comes despite the fact that Haddadi himself enjoyed over 15 years of ministry and federation funding, even for non-sport-related expenses such as personal clothing and elective surgeries.
The IranWire source added, “Not only is the federation’s budget not lacking, but it’s several times larger than in previous years. Yet, in recent months, all official and unofficial athlete trips have been halted.” In spring, the Ministry of Sports and Youth announced that the Athletics Federation’s annual budget would exceed 950 billion tomans ($14.6 million), paid in full to the federation.
In June, the ISNA news agency reported on the Athletics Federation’s surprise at this budget increase, which rose from 180 billion tomans ($2.8 million) in 2023. Though federation officials requested 600 billion tomans, the ministry allocated 950 billion tomans instead.
The IranWire source said that Haddadi is concerned about retaining what he considers “personal funds” within the budget. “The Federation’s president insists that all his domestic and international trips be first-class. Unlike many other sports federation presidents, he grants himself a monthly salary and doesn’t forgo overtime or monthly bonuses.”
Whose Pocket Does the Athletes’ Cost of Living End Up In?
As the Athletics Federation’s budget has skyrocketed, Iranian national team runner Jalil Naseri, who was excluded from the Hong Kong trip, has left the sport due to financial hardship. Now working as a security guard, Naseri says his wife filed for divorce due to his financial struggles.
On October 20, Naseri told ISNA about his economic difficulties as a national athlete, saying he quit his professional athletic career to prevent his personal life from falling apart.
Meanwhile, Ehsan Haddadi continues to lead the Athletics Federation with indifference toward the plight of athletes.
Following the November 2019 protests and the violent crackdown on demonstrators, Haddadi appeared at a government rally, telling Islamic Republic TV, “No other countries care about us. We must watch out for our own country.”
Before the 2012 London Olympics, Haddadi asked the Ministry of Sports and Youth for six months of training funding in South Africa and “freedom in personal matters” in exchange for bringing home a medal for Iran. He later confirmed this request, adding, “After all, we also need spiritual training.”
Two years before the 2016 Rio Olympics, Haddadi received a special monthly stipend of $10,000 directly from the Olympic Committee, separate from other Iranian Olympic athletes, to prepare in Germany. This $240,000 investment yielded nothing at Rio.
Haddadi’s “spiritual training” came with other consequences as well. In September 2016, he was sentenced to 100 lashes for “harassing a 30-year-old woman.” The plaintiff said, “Ehsan called me, asking me to come over to talk. I went and found only Ehsan and his friend there. He offered me juice. After drinking it, I lost consciousness, and he raped me.”
Samad Khoramshahi, the plaintiff’s lawyer, reported that Haddadi fled the country at the time and that his bail would be forfeited if he didn’t return. However, Haddadi’s case was closed under orders from higher authorities.
According to Hamshahri newspaper estimates, Haddadi’s preparations for the Tokyo Olympics cost the National Olympic Committee, the Athletics Federation, and the Ministry of Sports over 155 billion tomans - nearly $4 million at the time.
In Tokyo, he finished last among 26 athletes. After the competition, he said, “I’m not disappointed at all - I came to this competition out of respect for the Olympic spirit.”
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