ran Seyad Reza Salehi Amiri, President of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NOCIRI), has met with the Chinese Ambassador to Tehran to discuss preparations for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Salehi Amiri welcomed Chang Hua to the National Sport Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Iran's capital. The pair spoke about the relationship between the two countries and their millenniums-old history of cultural, political and economic exchanges along the Silk Road. The NOCIRI President said that China had proved to be a successful host of several international sporting events and expressed optimism that Hangzhou 2022 would be no different. "Also, for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, Iran will send a stronger and bigger delegation than for the Asian Games in Jakarta," said Salehi Amiri. A total of 378 athletes represented Iran at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, winning 20 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze medals. Chang thanked the NOCIRI for supporting China in its hosting of the Asian Games and the Winter Olympic Games. Beijing 2022 in particular has come under scrutiny, with the United States leading several Western nations in a diplomatic boycott of the Games which has been condemned by Iran's Foreign Minister. "I know that Iran holds first place in sport in the region and is one of the Asian sports hubs that won three gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as two silver and two bronze medals," said Chang. "Congratulations on this success and I wish success to Iranian athletes in the Beijing Winter Olympics and Asian Games in Hangzhou." Hangzhou is set to be the third Chinese city to host the Asian Games after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010. Peyman Fakhri will lead Iran into Hangzhou 2022, having been named Chef de Mission in October.