Meet Nasim Safaei an Iranian badminton player with Olympic aspirations
By Mahdieh Qazvinian
Staff writer
Iranian girl Nasim Safaei says she has set sights on securing a place in the badminton contests of next year’s Paris Olympics.
“It’s a dream for every athlete to take part in the greatest sporting showpiece of all,” the 22-year-old Iranian told Iran Daily, adding: “I’m currently the top-ranked female player in Iran, so I’ll be the favorite to represent the country in Paris.”
Safaei, however, is fully aware of the daunting challenge facing her for a spot in the Games.
“You need to have an accurate four-year plan to succeed at the Olympics. I missed out on several international events due to the coronavirus restrictions over the past few years, which is why I fell down the global rankings. I’ll have to compete in future events in the coming months to boost my chances for an Olympic berth,” added the Iranian.
Iran is not among the top badminton nations in the world, though Safaei believes the Iranians have what it takes to compete with the best of the sport.
“Badminton has gained more public attention in the country in recent years. However, the Iranians are far from being considered top players on the global stage. It takes a lot of efforts to reach that height. A player needs to have international experience, constant training sessions and work with world-class coaches to improve. I’m sure the Iranian players have the potentials to challenge the best in the game,” added Safaei, a former doubles champion at the International Fajr Cup.
“Most of the top badminton players in the world are from the Asian countries – notably South Korea, Indonesia, China, and Malaysia – and that makes it even harder for the Iranians to progress in the continental events,” said Safaei.
Of the top 20 players in the latest BWF World Tour women’s singles rankings, 17 are from Asia, while Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen (third) and Anders Antonsen (eighth) are the only non-Asians in the top 20 of the men’s ranking.
Iran was represented by Yeganeh Kermani in the newly-finished Hangzhou Asian Games in China, where she suffered a first-round exit.
“Badminton is an expensive sport and we often have to use personal funding to prepare for the tournaments. The Iranian federation plays an integral part in developing badminton in the country. The federation’s support helped Soraya Aqaei win a berth for the Tokyo Olympics. She was an inspiration for every Iranian female player.”
Aqaei came out on top against Maldivian Fathimath Abdul Razzaq in Tokyo, before a loss to the two-time world bronze medalist He Bingjiao of China saw her finish second in the group and fail to reach the knockout round.