Iran's Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has received orders to remove Olympic medalist Nahid Kiani from international competition after she was photographed embracing former Iranian athlete Kimia Alizadeh at the 2024 Paris Olympics, IranWire has learned.
The IRGC Intelligence Organization issued a directive mandating Kiani's replacement with Mobina Nematzadeh, a taekwondo athlete known for her pro-government stance.
Sources say Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali convened a high-level meeting in October 2024 with ministry security officials, Taekwondo Federation representatives, Federation President Hadi Saei, and an IRGC representative.
During this meeting, Donyamali presented a six-month strategy to remove Kiani from competitions while elevating her designated replacement gradually.
The controversy stems from Kiani's interaction with Alizadeh, who defected from Iran in 2020 and now competes under a Bulgarian flag.
Alizadeh boasts six historic achievements in taekwondo and Iranian women's sports.
In an Instagram post, Alizadeh said, "I am not a history maker, nor the flag bearer of Iran."
"I am one of millions of oppressed Iranian women who have been dictated to for years. They controlled my every move, my clothing, and even my words. They used my medals to promote their own agenda," she added.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, two Iranian taekwondo athletes stood on the podium. Nahid Kiani won a silver medal in the 57 kg category, while Mobina Nematzadeh secured a bronze in the 49 kg category.
For Iran’s security and intelligence apparatus, however, there was a big difference between the two.
On the podium, Nahid Kiani embraced her longtime friend and former teammate, Kimia Alizadeh, and took a selfie with her.
In contrast, Mobina Nematzadeh dedicated her medal to the Islamic Republic.
She said that she "had promised Mahdi" to win a medal, and then offered her achievement to the twelfth Shia Imam.
Nematzadeh went further, proclaiming her support for Gaza, the "resistance forces," and Hamas, while expressing her hatred for Israel.
Following the Olympics, despite her higher-ranking silver medal, Nahid Kiani received almost no coverage in domestic media.
Meanwhile, Nematzadeh became a media darling and received attention from state-run outlets and even members of parliament.
In August 2024, Nematzadeh requested to bypass the national university entrance exam and enroll directly in medical school.
Her request was approved by both government and parliamentary officials, despite public backlash.
An IranWire source in the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs revealed that in September 2024, less than a month after Ahmad Donyamali was appointed Minister of Sports, IRGC intelligence representatives asked him to begin removing Kiani from the national taekwondo team.
Their instruction was clear: the process should be discreet, with minimal media coverage, especially internationally.
According to the IranWire source, the idea to promote Nematzadeh from the 49 kg weight class to 57 kg - directly competing with Kiani - originated from the IRGC.
The source said, “It appeared they had already discussed this plan with both the federation and Hadi Saei. Donyamali didn’t issue orders during the meeting; he simply outlined a roadmap that everyone, including the IRGC and Saei, was already aware of.”
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