The head of the Iranian National Paralympic Committee, Ghafour Kargari, presented the country's plans regarding the upcoming 2026 Asian Para Games, which will be held in Nagoya, Japan. He noted that Iran will face a significantly more difficult task in attempting to maintain its silver position.
The fifth Asian Para Games tournament will feature 18 sports and host athletes from 44 countries, with competitions starting on October 26. Unlike the event in Hangzhou in 2022, there will be no unified village for athletes in Nagoya; teams will be housed in different locations, which, according to Kargari, will complicate logistical management.
Furthermore, the total number of participating athletes has decreased by approximately 1000 compared to Hangzhou, and four sports have been removed from the program. Kargari emphasized that the reduction in competitions directly affects the Iranian delegation and will result in the country losing about six medals.
Iran will represent itself in Nagoya under the name 'Sacrifice for a Strong Iran' with the slogan 'In Memory of the Children of Hiroshima, Gaza, and Minab.' The spiritual leader of the delegation was appointed as nine-year-old schoolgirl Minab and war veteran Ana Jahangard.
Kargari stressed that the selection policy in Iran is based on criteria that go beyond just medals. While finishing on the podium remains the main requirement for men, the federation has softened the requirements in several categories. For women, a fourth-place finish is sufficient, and visually impaired athletes are not required to achieve a podium result. Young athletes generally must finish no worse than fifth place, and athletes who are already on the podium or close to national and international records may also be selected.
The representatives of the Iranian delegation carrying the flag have not yet been announced, but they are expected to be presented within the next one or two weeks. Kargari also admitted that repeating the second place won in Hangzhou will be extremely difficult. Despite Iran winning 44 gold medals at the previous Asian Para Games, the reduction in the Nagoya program has already deprived the team of potential medal chances.
He pointed to increased competition from other Asian powers, particularly Uzbekistan and India. Kargari concluded: 'Repeating second place in Nagoya will be very difficult,' adding that if Iran achieves this success, 'we should hold a national celebration.'
