Several prominent Iranian athletes took part in a national congress held in Munich on Saturday, July 26, aligning themselves with political and civil society activists opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The event was hosted by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and brought together more than 500 figures from political, academic, scientific, cultural, economic and athletic fields. Participants gathered to discuss ideas and strategies for Iran’s future, at a time many observers believe the country is approaching a pivotal moment of political transition.
Among the attendees was Salar Gholami, former captain of Iran’s national boxing team, who now lives in Canada and competes as a professional boxer. Gholami addressed the congress, voicing strong criticism of the Iranian regime and expressing full support for Reza Pahlavi’s vision for a democratic Iran.
A video message was also presented by Mitra Hejazipour, an Iranian chess player who left the country in protest against mandatory hijab laws and gender discrimination in sport. Hejazipour now represents France in international competitions. Both athletes highlighted the dysfunction of the current regime and shared their support for the opposition movement led by Prince Reza Pahlavi.
From left Soleimani, Mesdaghi, Joudaki
The transformation of Iranian sport since the 1979 Islamic Revolution was a key theme at the congress. Shahram Yousefi, a former member of Iran’s national weightlifting team who has lived in Germany for the past 40 years, offered a personal account of sport under the Pahlavi monarchy. He told Sportsin that the current state of sport in Iran is unsustainable and marked by corruption, exclusion and political control.
Yousefi criticized what he called a rent-seeking system driven by favoritism and gender-based discrimination. He expressed disappointment at the lack of action by international sporting bodies, including the International Olympic Committee. According to Yousefi, the Olympic Charter has been repeatedly violated under the ideological policies of the Islamic Republic.
He named several sports, including wrestling, swimming, diving, boxing, cycling and judo, where Iranian women are still prohibited from competing in official events. He also condemned the refusal of Iranian state television to broadcast women’s sports, calling it a clear case of institutional gender segregation.
Athletes and justice seeking families
Other athletes present included Gholamreza Soleimani, a former member of Iran’s national water polo team, and Majid Fallah, a renowned Iranian kickboxer. Both met with political and social figures at the event and expressed concern about the situation in their homeland. They also voiced their full support for Reza Pahlavi’s political agenda.
Speakers at the congress emphasized that Iranian sport suffers from systemic corruption and centralized government control. The growing number of athletes leaving the country has become a major concern for observers. Of the 32 athletes named to the Refugee Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 Games, 16 are originally from Iran. Others have joined the national teams of foreign countries, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the current system.
Reza Azizi, former coach of Iran’s national karate team, and Reza Joudaki, a well-known kung fu coach, also participated as part of the invited sports delegation. Their presence further underscored the expanding role of athletes in the broader movement for political and social change in Iran.
