Iran to dispatch 282 athletes to Asian Games
Iran will be represented by 282 athletes at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) announced on Tuesday.
The figure was confirmed “following a thorough technical review, an assessment of the national federations’ performance, the athletes’ state of preparedness, and their prospects for success,” the Iranian NOC said.
Named “Angels of Minab” in memory of the 168 victims, including 120 schoolchildren, killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, the Iranian delegation will comprise 191 men and 91 women competing across 39 sports.
The 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event will open at Paloma Mizuho Stadium on September 19.
Wrestling, Iran’s most successful discipline at the Asian Games with 155 medals, including 74 gold medals, will feature 12 Iranian men competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman events. Other leading medal hopes include taekwondo (10 athletes), karate (9), wushu (12), and weightlifting (8).
Iran will also look to build on strong recent performances and surprise podium finishes in table tennis, sport climbing, kurash, rowing, chess, fencing, athletics, canoeing, gymnastics, and beach volleyball.
The men’s volleyball team will spearhead Iran’s medal challenge in the team events, although it faces a daunting task in its bid for a fourth consecutive gold medal, with hosts Japan entering the tournament as favorites.
Iran will also compete for medals in the team events of kabaddi, basketball, football, and water polo.
At the previous Asian Games in China, Iran fielded 289 athletes – 211 men and 78 women – and finished seventh in the medals table with 13 gold, 21 silver, and 20 bronze medals, its lowest placing in five editions of the Games.
The country’s most successful campaign came at Tehran 1974, where it won a record 81 medals, including an all-time high of 36 gold medals, to finish runner-up to Japan in the overall standings.
In more recent editions of the Games, Iran’s best finish came at Guangzhou 2010, where it placed fourth with a haul of 20 gold, 15 silver, and 24 bronze medals.