World Taekwondo Championships:
Time has come for Iranian girls to hit milestone, head coach Saei says
Head coach Mahrouz Saei believes the Iranian women’s team is ready to make history by securing its first-ever podium finish at the upcoming World Championships.
The 27th edition of the sport’s flagship international event will kick off on Friday in Wuxi, China, where Iran will be represented by seven contestants in the women’s division.
Iran’s best-ever result in the women’s competition – since its inception in 1987 – came at the previous edition in Baku two years ago, when Nahid Kiani claimed a historic gold medal in the -53kg class to help the country finish fifth in the team table.
“Fortunately, the girls are in excellent condition, both physically and mentally, and have reached their peak form. We have no injury concerns, and are fully prepared to succeed at the World Championships,” Saei told IRNA.
When Saei replaced former coach Minou Maddah in September, her appointment was met with criticism from many in the country, who believed the decision was driven by nepotism on the part of her older brother and the chairman of the Iranian federation, Hadi Saei – a taekwondo legend with double Olympic golds and a bronze.
That is what makes the event in Wuxi, along with the upcoming Islamic Solidarity Games, even more special for Saei, who will be eager to showcase her coaching credentials and prove her doubters wrong.
“I’ve carried a great deal of mental pressure, but my focus never wavered from the team’s success. I didn’t let myself be distracted then, and I won’t now. God willing, with the girls’ hard work, we will achieve what we rightfully deserve,” added Saei, who served as a number two to Maddah at last year’s Olympic Games and was in Ne’matzadeh’s corner through her bronze-winning campaign in Paris.
“Success in Wuxi is certainly of great importance to me. Over the last eight months, we have prepared a very strong team, which features world and Olympic medalists.
When asked about the high expectations of her team, Saei said, “I’m fully aware of that. In Baku, we finished fifth, thanks to Nahid ‘s gold. I don’t want to put any extra pressure on the girls; our team’s potential is high, and perhaps the time has come for us to finish on the podium.
“The team is in every way ready to compete for glory. I have a positive outlook and am hopeful we will achieve our target. I believe we can return with at least two medals, though the potential for even more is there.
For all the success that Iranian women have enjoyed across various international events in recent years, Saei remains mindful of the different level of the challenge awaiting in Wuxi, which marks the first step on the road to securing a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“In some weight categories, each contestant will have to face six or seven opponents in a single day to reach the final, which is quite a challenge. But the girls are used to it.
“Since the domestic Super League switched to a Grand Prix format, they’ve adapted to competing multiple times in a day. We anticipated this and simulated this exact scenario in training camps with grueling sessions to ensure our girls are ready to handle the intense workload at the world event,” Saei said.
While Kiani will aim to capture a second successive world gold on the opening day of the competition, former world junior champion Mobina Ne’matzadeh, 20, will look to build on her Olympic success as she chases a medal on her senior debut at the World Championships.
Mo’menzadeh, meanwhile, is set to compete at the World Championships for a third time, seeking to add to the silver medal she won in Manchester in 2019.
Having won her second Asian silver medal last year, Iranian captain Melika Mirhosseini will fancy her chances of a strong showing in Wuxi, while debutants Kowsar Asaseh and Nastaran Valizadeh, along with 21-year-old Saeideh Nasiri, head to the event fresh off impressive performances at international tournaments.