Iran surfers to make historic debut at Nagoya Asian Games

Tehran - BORNA - Abbas Nategh Noori provided an update on the status of the sport, noting that the federation plans to dispatch one male and one female surfer to the Nagoya Asian Games.

"Surfing is making its first appearance in the Nagoya Asian Games, and we have decided to send a representative from both the men’s and women’s divisions," Nategh Noori stated. He added that while training has been temporarily halted, sessions are expected to resume continuously starting in June at Chabahar—the primary training hub for Iranian surfers—to prepare the athletes for the Games.

Focus on infrastructure and foreign expertise

Nategh Noori emphasized the need for modern and standardized camps in Chabahar to foster the sport's growth. He revealed that the federation is looking into recruiting foreign coaches to elevate the technical knowledge within the country.

"To develop this field, we need to establish specialized and standardized training camps and utilize the expertise of international coaches," he said.

Regarding the selection process for the Nagoya Games, the federation president explained that the final representatives have not yet been determined. Eight athletes will be invited to the preparatory camp in Chabahar, after which the top two performers will be selected.

An Olympic vision

Highlighting that surfing is now an Olympic sport, Nategh Noori called for increased support from the National Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

"This is a fledgling sport in Iran, and investment is crucial for its growth. We need to prepare our athletes for the Olympics by bringing in high-quality foreign coaching," he noted.

He concluded by pointing out that the limited number of suitable training locations—restricted to coastal areas with appropriate wave conditions—remains one of the main challenges for the development of surfing in Iran.

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