Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games:
‘Composure, precision’ key to karate glory, Iran coach Zangeneh says
Iran women’s karate head coach Pegah Zangeneh believes her two kumite fighters will have to remain calm and make the most of their opportunities in pursuit of glory at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.
The karate competition at the multi-sport event will kick off on Sunday, with Iran represented by Atousa Golshadnejad and Fatemeh-Zahra Saeidabadi in the women’s contests.
Golshadnejad will be among the favorites in the -68kg class, entering the competition on the back of a glorious 2025 season, in which the 23-year-old sensation claimed the world and Asian -61kg titles either side of a gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Young Saeidabadi, meanwhile, will look to build on her kumite team gold at June’s Asian Championships when getting her -55kg campaign underway at the Toyohashi Gymnasium.
“The results and performances over the past year at the World Championships, Islamic Solidarity Games and Asian Championships have definitely raised expectations of the women’s duo,” Zangeneh told IRNA ahead of departing Tehran for the Games on Tuesday.
“Of course, we also have high expectations of ourselves, and I’m confident that if we work hard and remain motivated as always, we can make our beloved Iran proud. I just hope the Iranian Karate Federation will reap the rewards of its hard work.”
Zangeneh was particularly upbeat about Saeidabadi, saying the former world U21 champion is in excellent shape and highly motivated.
“She is in very good form and, like at the Asian Championships, is motivated. She is eager to win the top prize in the presence of other high-profile contenders in the -55kg division,” Zangeneh said.
“Fatemeh-Zahra has sharp and scoring kicks, and I hope she can use her skills to her advantage when she is in action,” added the Iranian coach.
Although Saeidabadi has limited experience with the senior national team, Zangeneh said the youngster has already gained valuable experience at major international competitions.
“She may have less experience with the senior national team, but she has competed in the Karate 1-Series A, performed very well in the team kumite event at the Asian Championships and also won gold at the FISU World University Games in Russia, competing alongside senior-level athletes,” she said.
“As someone who has extensive experience at the Asian Games both as a competitor and a coach, I believe the atmosphere of this event is not particularly daunting and is no different from other competitions. There are even fewer competitors, and with composure and precision, the best outcome is well within reach for our representatives.”
Zangeneh also explained the decision to move Golshadnejad, who made history by winning Iran’s maiden women’s gold at the World Championships last year but missed out on defending her continental title in June after suffering an untimely injury on the eve of the event, up to the -68kg division.
“We made this decision to prevent her injury from recurring and to avoid the need for her to lose weight. Her chances of winning a medal may even be slightly higher in this weight class,” she said.
“Fortunately, she has adapted well to the new weight, and her injury has also completely healed. Several doctors, following multiple examinations, confirmed that her condition was completely normal and that she had reached full fitness.”
Golshadnejad narrowly missed out on a medal at the previous Asian Games, falling short in the bronze-medal bout, and is now desperate to make the podium in Nagoya, Zangeneh added.
“Golshadnejad missed out on a medal by a narrow margin in Hangzhou and is now highly motivated to succeed this time around. The two athletes and I will do our best to repeat our performances of the past year on the Nagoya tatami.”