Iran adds 26 slots to Asian Games delegation
Iran has added 26 slots to its delegation for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, taking the country’s contingent to 308 athletes across 36 sports.
The 20th edition of the continental multi-sport event will open at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19.
The Iranian National Olympic Committee (NOC) had initially confirmed the delegation last week following “a thorough technical review, an assessment of the national federations’ performance, the athletes’ state of preparedness, and their prospects for success.” However, additional quotas were approved after a late review by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Mehr News Agency reported on Wednesday.
The revised decision means the Iranian contingent – 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 – will comprise 214 men and 94 women competing at the Games.
Of the additional slots, 16 have been allocated to the men’s national handball team, which will be led by new Croatian head coach Nenad Kljaić. Further quotas have been awarded in shooting, archery, equestrian, athletics, jiu-jitsu, gymnastics, boxing and table tennis.
In recent years, Iranian sports authorities have emphasized a “quality over quantity” approach when selecting teams for the Olympics and Asian Games.
Nevertheless, calls for a larger delegation emerged in recent days, with several federations seeking additional quotas. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali has also reportedly pushed for broader representation, insisting Iran should aim to send one of its largest-ever delegations to the Asian Games.
At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Iran fielded 289 athletes – 211 men and 78 women – and finished seventh in the medal table with 13 gold, 21 silver and 20 bronze medals, its lowest placing in the past 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 golds, 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.