Iranian athlete Mandana Dehghan aims to return home with the most coveted award after participating in the Asian Games in Nagoya.
Dehghan, who is currently in China for training and competitions with her club's team, told Tehran Times in an exclusive interview that she hopes to achieve a historic feat at the Asian Games.
The athlete noted that despite all the difficulties this year, including military conditions and events affecting the training process, she tried not to miss a single training session.
The Iranian cyclist spent about a month in China, participating in races to hone her competitive skills and reach peak form before the Asian Games.
Expecting 100% physical readiness for the Asian Games, she stated that she will be able to compete under some of the best conditions of her career.
When asked about her plans regarding a medal in Nagoya, Dehghan clearly outlined her ambitions, stating that her goal is to win the most desired medal at the Asian Games. However, she added that regardless of the result, she will continue her journey with even greater zeal and motivation, as she feels it is her calling.
Dehghan also drew attention to one of the serious problems facing road cyclists in Tehran and Karaj—the lack of suitable and safe training routes.
She emphasized that the absence of proper roads for cycling is one of the main problems for cyclists in Tehran and Karaj. Since their discipline is road cycling, professional athletes need to spend hours on the roads for training, but many roads in these cities are either heavily congested or prohibit cycling, creating serious obstacles in finding suitable tracks.
The athlete called on city officials to pay more attention to this issue and proposed the creation of a specialized professional cycling complex.
Dehghan believes that ordinary bicycle paths laid out in cities are excellent for recreation and public use, but they cannot meet the needs of professional athletes or replace a standard training route. She suggested that if she were the mayor of Tehran, one option she would consider would be the development of the second phase of Chitgar Park. This area has great potential, and with proper planning, a technical and attractive cycling track of about 10 kilometers could be created, making it a completely safe and standard place for training by restricting vehicle access.
In Dehghan's opinion, such a project could significantly support the development of cycling in Iran. She concluded that creating a professional cycling track or a specialized bike park where amateurs can enjoy sports and professionals can train in standard conditions would be one of the greatest services to cycling in Iran, especially in Tehran and Alborz province.