The letter, signed by 43 well-known figures from Iranian sport, emphasises that athletes from Iran deserve to compete in international events and the Olympic Games with full respect for human dignity and gender equality, free from political interference.

The signatories also refer to the recent killing of Iranian athletes during a massacre by the Islamic Republic’s security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They call on the IOC to avoid any form of cooperation or appeasement toward the current leadership of Iran’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, noting that several senior officials are affiliated with the IRGC, a force accused of widespread human rights abuses.

Among those who signed the letter are Professor Iradge Ahrabi Fard, a leading academic figure in Iranian and American sports; Behrooz Sarshar, regarded as the founder of judo in Iran; Milad Zeynipour, a former Iranian Premier League footballer; along with several Iranian Olympians and international medalists.

The letter represents a rare collective appeal from Iran’s sporting community, calling on the Olympic movement to uphold its stated values of equality, human rights, and the protection of athletes. The letter is provided exclusively to SportsIn and is published in full below.

Open Letter from Iranian Athletes to the President of the International Olympic Committee

Date: 27.01.2026

Madam President, Kirsty Coventry,

We address you at a time when the people of Iran are facing one of the most violent waves of repression in recent history. The massacre of protesters by the Islamic Republic of Iran has claimed the lives of many citizens, including athletes, coaches, and referees from various sporting disciplines. Among the victims were gifted teenagers, members of Iran’s youth and junior national teams, young athletes who dreamed of one day competing in the Olympic Games.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the killing of Iranian protesters by the Islamic Republic. The European Parliament has likewise adopted a firmer position and moved toward more severe sanctions. In contrast, the continued silence of the International Olympic Committee has raised serious concern. It appears that the principle of so called political neutrality has been prioritised over the protection of human life and the fundamental rights of athletes.

The IOC did not remain neutral in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Belarus. Nor has it remained silent in the face of apartheid, where it has taken positions broadly recognised as justified and necessary. It is therefore deeply troubling that, in the case of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IOC has chosen to remain silent.

History will record that the IOC failed to act in response to gender segregation in Iranian sport, systematic discrimination against women athletes, and the state controlled and politicised nature of sport in Iran. History will also record that senior officials of Iran’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committees were official members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, promoted anti women and antisemitic views, and yet continued to represent the Olympic Movement, while the IOC maintained engagement with them.

As athletes, we believe in the values enshrined in the Olympic Charter, including respect for human dignity, equality, and non discrimination. These values cannot be selectively applied.

We therefore call upon you, as the first woman in history to lead the International Olympic Committee, to demonstrate that the lives and futures of Iranian women athletes matter. We urge you to show that Iranian athletes deserve to participate in international and Olympic competitions in a dignified and humane manner, free from coercion, discrimination, and fear.

We ask you to ensure that the Olympic flag serves as a protective umbrella for Iranian athletes. Allow them to compete under the Olympic flag in international and Olympic competitions when their fundamental rights and personal safety cannot be guaranteed. Let the Olympic Movement stand with athletes, not with repression, silence, or complicity.

The credibility of the Olympic Movement depends on the consistent defence of its values. The world is watching. History will judge.

Signatories in alphabetical order

• Ahrabi Fard, Iradge – Swimming
• Arab, Mostafa – Football
• Azizpour, Bahman – Boxing
• Azizi, Reza – Karate
• Bashi, Yal – Diving
• Bashiri, Saeid – Boxing
• Bozorgzadeh, Hoshang – Table Tennis
• Emad, Mehdi – Water Polo
• Entezarioun, Mohammadreza – Cycling
• Esfandiari, Rouhollah – Karate
• Fallah, Majid – Kickboxing
• Fallah, Mahnaz – Kickboxing
• Gharaie, Mahta – Karate
• Gharib, Fariborz – Sport Journalist
• Hajir, Mehrdad – Diving
• Hazardastan, Hossein – Handball
• Hosseini, Zari – Athletics
• Jodaki, Reza – Kung Fu
• Kamali, Amir – Athletics
• Karimi, Saeid – Water Polo
• Kazemi, Parviz – Volleyball
• Mahjoub, Javad – Judo
• Makani, Sosha – Football
• Maroofi, Abdoulwahab – Muaythai
• Mohebban, Gitty – Fencing
• Mofeed, Fariborz – Gymnastics
• Movahdi, Darioush – Water Polo
• Ramezani, Hossein – Jujitsu
• Robatipour, Reza – Karate
• Sarshar, Behrooz – Judo
• Sattari, Esfandiyar – Athletics
• Shyari, Morteza – Volleyball
• Soleimani, Aria – Water Polo
• Soleimani, Reza – Water Polo
• Tabrizi, Reza – Bodybuilding
• Varzideh, Syamak – Boxing
• Yavarzadeh, Behshad – Football
• Yazdani, Maziyar – Equestrian
• Yousefi, Parviz – Gymnastics
• Yousefi, Shahram – Weightlifting
• Youshanlou, Farzad – Karate
• Zandi, Karim – Athletics
• Zeynipour, Milad – Football

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In the main event, Kim Townsend of Australia will defend her WMC World Light-Flyweight title against Switzerland’s Clémentine Eggs. Townsend arrives in Geneva as one of the most accomplished female athletes in modern Muaythai. She won the WMC Oceania flyweight title in 2015 and captured the WMC World Light-Flyweight crown in 2023 with a victory over Namwhan Sor Kongkraphan at Coastal Warfare 24. She later defended the belt in Brisbane against Nongnook, showing she can perform under pressure on the sport’s biggest stages. Townsend’s experience and composure make her a formidable opponent.

Standing across the ring is Clémentine Eggs, Switzerland’s rising star. She became WMC Swiss National Champion in September 2024 in Lausanne and captured the WMC European Mini-Flyweight title in Geneva by unanimous decision over France’s Chaina Tavares. Eggs’s rise through the European ranks represents a new era for Swiss Muaythai. For local fans, her challenge for the world title is more than a fight. It is a statement that Swiss athletes are ready to compete at the highest level.

Promoter Daniel Janista said the fight would keep everyone on edge.“You are looking at two of the most accomplished female athletes on the planet. There can only be one champion, but both will leave the ring as history-makers,” he said.

Leonardo Irmici, president of WMC Switzerland, said the bout reflected years of progress for the sport in the country. “Swiss Muaythai has earned its place. We may be small in size, but our athletes fight with the hearts of lions, and the world is starting to understand that,” he said.

With a world title on the line, elite athletes competing, and full recognition from international authorities, Geneva is ready to welcome the world and showcase Swiss Muaythai on the global stage. Switzerland is no longer a developing nation in the sport. It is a force, and Geneva is its proving ground.

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Earlier estimates varied. CBS News placed the death toll at nearly 20,000, while the Persian-language broadcaster Iran International reported that more than 12,000 people had been killed.

According to multiple sources, the violence erupted after Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranians to take part in peaceful demonstrations. Between the nights of 8 and 12 January, IRGC forces opened fire on protesters in more than 170 cities and towns across the country.

Witnesses and human rights groups say regime security forces and IRGC units used live ammunition against demonstrators, raided hospitals, forcibly removed the wounded, and withheld the bodies of those killed from their families. Authorities also imposed widespread internet shutdowns, severely restricting the flow of information. As a result, many victims remain unidentified.

Among those killed were numerous athletes, including national team members, coaches, and referees. Despite public appeals from prominent figures such as Paolo Maldini, the former AC Milan and Italy captain; Heshmat Mohajerani, the iconic former head coach of Iran’s national football team; Ali Karimi, former Bayern Munich midfielder; and Olympic medallists Kimia Alizadeh and Saeid Mollaei, international sports federations and the International Olympic Committee have so far remained silent.

Rebin Moradi

Below is a list of athletes, coaches, and referees identified as of 20 January 2026, all reportedly shot dead by IRGC or regime security forces while taking part in peaceful protests in their home cities:

Shayan Shakeri, taekwondo athlete from Rasht and member of Iran’s national youth team.

Amir Mohammad Karami, taekwondo athlete from Marvdasht and former national youth team member.

Hassan Ghasemi, karate coach and referee from Isfahan, killed in Isfahan.

Arshia Ahmadpour, 18-year-old boxer from Baharestan, Isfahan.

Sara Behboudi, 45-year-old mountaineer, killed in Rasht.

Mojtaba Tarshiz, professional footballer who played for Tractor and Nassaji in the Iranian Premier League. He was killed alongside his wife, Arezu Madani, after the couple attended a protest together. Witnesses said Arezu was shot first; when Mojtaba attempted to shield her, IRGC Basij forces opened fire on him. Both were killed.

Shahram Maghsoudi, Iranian national powerlifting champion, killed in Isfahan.

Rebin Moradi, 17-year-old player for Saipa’s youth football team, killed in Tehran.

Masoud Zatparvar, weightlifter and Iranian bodybuilding champion, killed in Rasht.

Sahba Rashtian, women’s football referee, killed in Isfahan.

Ahmad Khosravani, 21-year-old basketball player from Tehran, killed in Tehran.

Arnika Dabbagh, a 15-year-old medal-winning swimmer, killed in the northern city of Gorgan.

Mehdi Lavasani, coach of Mahan Novin FC and former player for Parseh Tehran and Torbat-e Yazd, was killed in Karaj

Afshin Miyarkiani, a taekwondo champion, referee, and coach, was first wounded while helping protesters in Chalus before being shot dead with three live bullets.

Mohammad Hajipour, a former goalkeeper of Iran’s national beach soccer team, was killed by Islamic Republic forces in the city of Rasht during the Iranian national uprising.

Shahab Fallahpour, a 19-year-old wrestler, was killed by a sniper’s gunfire in Andimeshk.

Reza Ghasemi

Reza Ghasemi, an Iranian Olympian who competed at the London and Rio Games and a former national 100-metre record holder, has condemned the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests, accusing the authorities of killing civilians and silencing the country.

In a statement published on social media, Ghasemi said history would remember what he described as the bloodshed carried out by Iran’s ruling system. “History will record that the Khamenei regime spilled the blood of innocent people across the streets,” he wrote.

Ghasemi said the protests, which he described as a national uprising, were crushed amid what he called the silence of international human rights bodies and with the support of China and Russia for Iran’s leadership.

He also accused the authorities of cutting Iran off from the outside world by imposing widespread communication blackouts. “History will write how the regime severed Iran’s connection with the world, silenced the voice of a nation and killed defenceless people in the streets,” he said.

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This withdrawal continues a long-standing pattern in which Iranian athletes avoid competing against Israelis, following directives from Tehran. While similar incidents in other sports have drawn scrutiny from international federations and the International Olympic Committee, the World Karate Federation has largely remained silent, taking no public action or sanctions.

The phenomenon is not new. In 2017, Iranian karateka Majid Hasaninia refused to face an Israeli opponent at the 21st Paris Open Karate Premier League in France. Scheduled to compete in the men’s under-60kg division, he was eliminated after missing his first-round match. In a later interview with Iranian media, Hasaninia said that although he personally covered all costs to participate and wanted to test his readiness, his convictions and support for the defenseless Palestinian people took precedence.

The pattern continued in 2022. Iranian athletes Saleh Abazari, Mehdi Khodabakhshi, and Keyvan Baban withdrew from the Karate1 Premier League in Fujairah after being drawn against Israeli opponents. Through an arrangement between the WKF and the Iranian Karate Federation, the three held symbolic matches a day before the main event to maintain their ranking points despite their absence from the official competition.

In another case at the Karate1 Premier League in Baku, senior Iranian referee Javad Salimi, former head of Iran’s national referees committee, refused to officiate a match involving an Israeli athlete. After raising the issue with the WKF refereeing panel, another referee was assigned. A year later, Salimi lost his refereeing badge for influencing player draws and was banned from WKF events for five years.

This phenomenon is not limited to Iran. In 2022, Kuwaiti karateka Mohammed Mashal Al-Otaibi also withdrew from the Premier League in Baku after being drawn against an Israeli opponent.

Such incidents directly conflict with the fundamental principles of Olympism. Rule 6 of the Olympic Charter states that any form of discrimination based on race, religion, politics, gender, or other grounds is incompatible with participation in the Olympic Movement, and that athletes, coaches, and officials must compete on merit, not political or national considerations. Rule 50 further prohibits using the Olympic Games to promote political statements or propaganda.

Refusing to compete against an opponent from a specific country is therefore considered a political act and constitutes prohibited discrimination. These cases highlight the ongoing tension between political pressures and the ideals of fair play in sport, raising questions about the effectiveness of international federations in enforcing anti-discrimination rules.

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For nearly two decades, Riner has competed at the very top of one of the most physically punishing sports in the world. Eleven world titles and seven Olympic medals tell part of the story, but statistics alone fail to explain his longevity. Judo is a sport that consumes bodies quickly. Few survive its demands beyond a single Olympic cycle. Fewer still remain dominant. Riner did not just endure; he adapted.

At first glance, the explanation seems obvious. His size is extraordinary, his strength undeniable. At over two metres tall, he has often looked less like a competitor and more like an inevitability. Yet to reduce his success to physicality is to misunderstand him entirely. Over time, Riner learned that bodies fade long before ambition does. What kept him competitive was not brute force, but restraint, self-awareness and an uncommon willingness to step back.

Welcoming Teddy Riner

That clarity became increasingly important as his role evolved. In the later stages of his career, Riner was no longer just France’s most reliable winner. He became its emotional reference point. Nowhere was that clearer than in the Olympic team final in Paris. With gold on the line and the arena vibrating with expectation, fate handed him the deciding contest. From the outside, it looked like destiny. From inside, it felt like weight.

Riner has since admitted that his first instinct was hope that the responsibility would fall elsewhere. He was exhausted. He was aware of the stakes. He was human. What followed was not an act of invincibility but of acceptance. He stepped forward not because he felt fearless, but because leadership demanded it. That distinction matters. Courage, in this context, was not the absence of doubt, but the decision to act in spite of it.

His path was never uninterrupted. A serious injury before the Tokyo Olympics threatened to close the chapter earlier than planned. At the time, it felt catastrophic. In hindsight, it proved decisive. The enforced pause altered the rhythm of his career, slowing it down just enough to allow reflection. Had Tokyo unfolded differently, Riner has suggested, Paris might never have happened. The setback extended the story rather than ending it.

Teddy Riner final in the men + 100kg, Paris 2024

What ultimately sets Riner apart is not how he won, but how deliberately he resisted becoming consumed by winning. Even the question of legacy was approached with distance. He has spoken openly about not wanting his children to follow his path, not out of disinterest, but out of protection. He understood the weight of comparison and chose not to pass it on. In a sporting culture obsessed with inheritance and continuation, that decision feels quietly radical.

Teddy Riner’s career offers a different definition of greatness. It is not about domination alone, nor about perfection. It is about balance, patience and knowing when to push and when to step back. He did not chase immortality. He focused on sustainability.

In a world of sport increasingly shaped by speed, pressure and short-term success, Riner stands as a reminder that the rarest achievement is not reaching the top, but learning how to remain there without losing yourself in the process.

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The US network CBS, while independently confirming that a large-scale massacre has taken place across Iran, put the death toll even higher, estimating that nearly 20,000 people may have been killed.

Among those reported dead are several well-known figures from Iranian sport. Ahmad Khosravani, a member of the Shemiran three-on-three basketball team and a former national champion with the club, was shot dead by IRGC forces while protesting in the streets.

Mojtaba Torshiz, a former player for Tractor Sazi Tabriz football club, and Mehdi Lavasani, a coach at Mahan Novin FC who had previously represented Iran at the youth national level, were reportedly shot dead alongside Torshiz’s wife. Masoud Zatparvar, a national bodybuilding champion, was also killed by direct gunfire from IRGC forces while participating in the protests. Following the news of his son’s death, his father, Majid Zatparvar, a widely respected Iranian weightlifting coach, reportedly suffered a heart attack.

According to updated data from NetBlocks, Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown had reached 132 hours by the morning of Wednesday, 14 January. The Islamic Republic has effectively prevented the flow of information and images by cutting internet access and disrupting international communications. The killings have taken place under what activists describe as “digital darkness”, making independent verification extremely difficult. More evidence of the scale of the violence is expected to emerge once connectivity is restored.

Iran internet blackout now past its 132nd hour

Iran’s National Olympic Committee is widely regarded by critics as being under the effective control of the IRGC, an organisation designated as a terrorist entity by several countries, including the United States. The committee is currently headed by Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa, a former bodyguard to Ayatollah Khamenei and a senior member of the Basij, a paramilitary force that plays a central role in domestic repression and has been directly involved in street-level violence against protesters.

Sport in Iran is deeply intertwined with the state and its security apparatus. Heads of national federations are either members of the IRGC or have been vetted and approved by institutions linked to it. Coaches, referees, and international officials are expected to operate strictly within ideological boundaries set by the authorities.

As a result, Iranian sport functions largely as a patronage system. Athletes, coaches, and officials who do not conform to the regime’s political and ideological criteria are systematically marginalised or excluded altogether. This has fuelled a significant wave of emigration among Iran’s sporting elite. The scale of this exodus was highlighted at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where approximately half of the Refugee Olympic Team was made up of Iranian athletes.

Against this backdrop, serious questions are being raised at the international level. Madam President Kirsty Coventry, in the face of these reports of mass killings, systematic repression, and the politicisation of sport under a security state, what is your position on the massacre of the Iranian people?

Mass killing of the Iranian people – Jan 2026

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Across social media and public platforms, prominent figures from the sporting world have published numerous statements openly backing the movement. Most of these messages explicitly support the uprising and express endorsement of Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince, who is increasingly seen by Iranians as the political figurehead of this nationwide push for regime change.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian sport entered a trajectory that increasingly diverged from prevailing international norms. Following the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, sport became closely aligned with the state’s ideological framework. During this period, the international sporting community, including the International Olympic Committee, largely maintained engagement with Iran, a stance critics have described as amounting to accommodation of the new political order.

Iran boycotted two Olympic Games, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. In subsequent decades, it returned to Olympic participation under a system that required ideological screening of athletes, imposed restrictions on women, and permitted Iranian teams to compete internationally under symbols associated with the ruling establishment. This approach has been shaped by two longstanding policies: the requirement for female athletes to observe compulsory hijab and the refusal to compete against Israeli athletes.

Compulsory hijab

Islamic dress has no roots in Iranian cultural tradition, nor has it reflected the wishes of most Iranian women. Before the rise of the clerical establishment, Iran’s female athletes were among the most progressive in the region and enjoyed broad social freedoms. The imposition of compulsory hijab therefore represented a major departure from previous practice.

Opposition to mandatory veiling has persisted, even as the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations have largely refrained from addressing the conditions faced by Iranian sportswomen. Women’s teams have excluded athletes who refused to comply with compulsory dress codes. State television has avoided live broadcasts of women’s sport, and stadiums hosting women’s competitions have often remained closed to male spectators.

Iranian female athletes cannot be considered equal to their male counterparts while they remain barred from international competition in multiple sports. For more than four decades, women in Iran have been prohibited from competing internationally in at least eight disciplines, including diving, swimming, cycling, boxing, wrestling, equestrian sports, judo, jiu-jitsu, and bodybuilding, covering both Olympic and non-Olympic events.

These restrictions have persisted since 1979, preventing Iranian women from participating on the global stage and drawing little sustained attention from the International Olympic Committee and international federations.

Masoud Zadparvar

Athletes stand with Iran’s protesters

Masoud Zadparvar, a bodybuilding champion, was killed on January 8 after being shot by regime forces in the street. In a message posted earlier on his Instagram account, he had written: “I am in the streets. I am not afraid. I have come to claim my rights.”

Protests across Iran have entered their third week, growing far larger than the earlier demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini, and spreading through both small towns and major cities. Many protesters have increasingly cited Reza Pahlavi as a potential alternative to the Islamic regime. The son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Reza Pahlavi has called for a parliamentary, secular system that empowers citizens. His message has resonated widely, particularly among younger Iranians, earning him broad support among demonstrators.

In the past 48 hours, Iranian authorities have completely shut down the country’s internet and telecommunications networks, limiting citizens’ ability to communicate within the country or with the outside world. Historical patterns suggest that such measures are often followed by violent crackdowns on protesters.During this period, many Iranian athletes, both inside and outside the country, have spoken out in support of the demonstrations, seeking to draw attention from the world sporting community.

Salih Foroutan, a member of Iran’s national basketball team, wrote on Instagram: “There is a shotgun in your hands. You show no mercy. How can anyone trust you and allow access to nuclear energy?”

Hashmat Mohajerani, former head coach of the Iranian national football team, posted on social media: “I stand with the brave people of Iran.”

Saeid Mollaei, an Iranian silver Olympic judo medalist who competed under the Mongolian flag at the Tokyo Olympics, shared a video on Instagram endorsing the protests. He said: “As a small champion from the sporting community, I want to remind everyone that on January 8–9, we should not submit ourselves to the corrupt Islamic Republic.” These dates correspond to the first nationwide call for protest announced by Reza Pahlavi.

Kimia Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal and a former member of Iran’s national taekwondo team, reacted to the millions of people responding to Reza Pahlavi’s call for protest. On Instagram, she wrote: “Did you see? Everyone came. Iran came. Long live Iran and the Iranian people.”

Mehdi Mahdavikia, former captain of Iran’s national football team, responded to the regime’s complete internet shutdown, calling on the international community to act. He wrote: “When the internet goes dark, human rights go dark too.”

Alireza Nejati, former member of Iran’s national Greco-Roman wrestling team and a bronze medalist at the World Championships, also posted in support of the nationwide protests against the Islamic Republic. He wrote: “We have come to fight, not to survive, but to refuse to live in humiliation.”

Mitra Hejazipour, a chess coach who was removed from Iran’s national team for opposing compulsory hijab, shared a video of the massive turnout during the January 8 protests following Reza Pahlavi’s call. The video included the caption: “It feels like a dream. This is Tehran.”

Rahman Ahmadi, former goalkeeper of Iran’s national football team, described the attack by security forces on protesters at a hospital as a war crime. In an Instagram story, Ahmadi wrote: “They are attacking a hospital, which is considered a war crime everywhere in the world.”

Majid Fallah, a former member of Iran’s national kickboxing team, posted a video on Instagram expressing support for the protesters and calling for political regime change in Iran.

Protesters seeking a regime change in Iran

Several prominent athletes have publicly expressed support for the ongoing protests in Iran. Among them are Reza Soleimani, former member of Iran’s national water polo team; Ali Karimi, former Bayern Munich player and former member of Iran’s national football team; Voria Ghafouri, former captain of Iran’s national football team; Zahra Khajavi, goalkeeper for Iran’s women’s national football team; Komeil Ghasemi, 2012 Olympic wrestling gold medalist; Reza Azizi, world student karate champion; Masoud Shojaei, former captain of Iran’s national football team; Rouhollah Esfandiari, Asian karate gold medalist; Abtin Shekarabi, Iranian bodybuilding coach; Carlos Queiroz, former coach of Iran’s national football team; Mehdi Taremi, forward for Olympiacos in Greece; and Chans Hershko, head coach of Israel’s national judo team.

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Singapore’s Jedd Tan, only 18 years old, captured gold in the men’s fighting under-77kg division, demonstrating remarkable composure in his first SEA Games final. Aacus Ee added to the medal haul with silver in the men’s under-85kg division, while Kayleigh Lim secured bronze in the women’s under-48kg category.

These results highlight a new generation of Singaporean athletes challenging traditional powerhouses in Southeast Asian ju-jitsu. The strong performances of young talents like Tan, Ee, and Lim signal the country’s growing depth in the sport and its commitment to nurturing emerging champions.

The Philippine team also made a strong statement. Dean Michael Roxas and Kimberly Anne Custodio claimed gold in their respective divisions, emphasizing the country’s rising reputation in ju-jitsu. Their performances, marked by technical precision and tactical intelligence, reflect the Philippines’ investment in developing high-caliber talent capable of competing at the regional level.

Not all expectations were met. Veteran Singaporean competitor Noah Lim, a three-time SEA Games champion, faced an early exit, underscoring the unpredictable and fiercely contested nature of this year’s event. Such outcomes demonstrate that emerging talents can now challenge even the most decorated athletes.

Ju-jitsu at this edition of the Games featured ten official categories, drawing significant attention from spectators and contributing to Thailand’s medal tally. The competition also highlighted the sport’s strategic importance for national teams in Southeast Asia, as countries aim to strengthen their programs ahead of future regional and continental tournaments.

Performances in Bangkok suggest that rivalries in ju-jitsu are intensifying, with young athletes like Tan and Custodio emerging as serious contenders. These results could shape the next SEA Games and upcoming championships, signaling an increasingly competitive future for the sport in the region.

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This shift represented a sharp break with Iran’s sporting past. Before 1979, Iranian women were among Asia’s leading competitors in sports such as swimming, volleyball, and basketball. The imposition of Islamist rule therefore triggered a profound social shock. From the outset, women responded with resistance, staging protests, defying official directives, and rejecting enforced gender segregation and discrimination in sport.

Despite this history, the response from international sporting institutions has been limited. Over decades, sustained lobbying by the Iranian authorities has contributed to a narrative within the International Olympic Committee and its affiliated bodies that frames restrictions on women’s sport as a matter of culture or tradition. That interpretation obscures a central fact. The limitations imposed on Iranian women athletes are not rooted in societal custom but in state policy introduced and enforced after 1979.

Iran national women’s volleyball team 1966

IOC’s Miscalculations

During Antonio Samaranch’s tenure, the Olympic movement’s influence in the Middle East, particularly in Muslim-majority countries, was considered a strategic priority. However, a lack of in-depth understanding by the International Olympic Committee led Samaranch into a serious miscalculation. He underestimated the political role of Islam, did not grasp the religious rivalries among countries bordering the Persian Gulf, and believed he could convince the religious rulers of these countries that Olympism was compatible with Islamic values.

Samaranch saw appeasement as the best way to secure even minimal participation of women athletes. He ignored the voices of countless women who were barred from competing in countries such as Iran due to mandatory dress codes. In this context, he openly supported the initiatives of Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani, the daughter of one of Iran’s most influential clerics, during her tenure at the National Olympic Committee of Iran.

The Hashemi Rafsanjani family is one of the largest political and economic power blocs in the country. While Faezeh Hashemi no longer enjoys popular support, she has historically advocated for internal reforms within the Islamic Republic to prevent its collapse. She describes herself as a human rights activist working within the framework of Iranian law and has been imprisoned several times amid internal political tensions.

Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani

Islamic Women’s Games

The Islamic Women’s Games and the creation of the Islamic Federation of Women’s Sports were initiatives led by Faezeh Hashemi, supported at the time by Juan Antonio Samaranch, then president of the International Olympic Committee, and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, then president of the Asian Olympic Council.

Hashemi sought to give Iranian women’s sport an Islamic identity and to attract Muslim women athletes to these competitions. However, these initiatives were not aimed at expanding women’s freedom in sport. Instead, they reinforced strict Islamic regulations and helped maintain the system of control over female athletes in Iran.
The political perspectives of many Muslim-majority countries differed from Iran’s approach, but with backing from the IOC, Hashemi’s programs served to legitimize the restrictions in place rather than challenge them.

Hashemi officially entered the sports arena in 1992 as Deputy for Women at the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran. She organized competitions in 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005, but these events followed the state’s Islamic framework and did not provide Iranian women athletes with real access to international competitions. Women in gymnastics, swimming, diving, cycling, boxing, wrestling, judo, bodybuilding, and equestrian sports have been barred from world championships and the Olympics since the 1979 Revolution, and this exclusion continues to this day.

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Matveenko suffered a medical emergency on 6 September 2025 during an official training session in Mytikas, Greece. Records show the 45-year-old diver lost consciousness at a depth of 15 metres after completing a dive to 126 metres. Neurological symptoms were observed on the right side of his body, and he was transported to Lefkada General Hospital.

Medical protocols for freediving incidents require rapid access to hyperbaric treatment. CMAS safety guidelines specify that injured athletes should be transferred to a hyperbaric chamber within 2 hours and 45 minutes to a maximum of 3 hours and 20 minutes. In Matveenko’s case, that timeframe was exceeded.

He was first admitted to Lefkada General Hospital, then transferred to the Triasion Neurology Emergency Clinic in Athens, before finally being taken to the Hellenic Navy Hospital in the Greek capital, where hyperbaric treatment was administered. The multiple transfers and delays have raised questions about compliance with established safety procedures.

Andrey Matveenko

Host responsibilities and CMAS oversight

Under CMAS regulations, responsibility for competition safety is delegated to the host nation. However, it remains unclear what level of assessment CMAS conducted regarding Greece’s capacity to provide immediate specialist medical care for high-risk freediving events.

CMAS has not publicly explained what expert evaluation underpinned the decision to stage the championships in Mytikas, nor how local medical readiness was assessed. Questions also remain as to whether safety recommendations issued following the 2024 CMAS World Championships, which identified weaknesses in emergency response and medical infrastructure, were implemented for the 2025 event.

Critics argue that both CMAS and the Greek authorities bear responsibility. While CMAS approved the venue based on local capabilities, the Greek Ministry of Sports ultimately authorised the event, raising concerns about whether athlete safety was given sufficient priority when granting approval.

Silence and resignation

In Russia, media coverage largely focused on Matveenko’s sporting achievements, with limited scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding his death or the responsibilities of organisers and governing bodies.

CMAS is led by Anna Arzhanova, a Russian national with Serbian citizenship, who has served as president since 2013 and holds a board member position on the Executive Board of the Association of IOC-Recognised International Sports Federations, following an unsuccessful bid for the ARISF presidency. The organisation has not issued a detailed public explanation addressing the safety failures highlighted by the incident.

In the aftermath, Alessia Zecchini resigned as president of the CMAS Athletes’ Commission. Her resignation statement made no reference to Matveenko’s death.

“During this season, and particularly throughout the World Championships, it became clear that this role requires time, continuity, and constant presence, especially in delicate situations,” Zecchini said. “Competing at the highest level demands total commitment, and I do not believe it is right to continue in such an important position without being able to dedicate the time it truly deserves.”

While Zecchini cited competing demands as the reason for her departure, her resignation has done little to ease concerns about athlete representation and safety oversight at a time when the sport is under increased scrutiny.

Matveenko’s death has intensified calls for greater transparency, clearer accountability, and stricter enforcement of safety standards in elite freediving competitions. Observers say these issues now go beyond a single tragedy and raise fundamental questions about the governance of the sport.

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