Jamshidi hopes Asian Games bronze heralds new era for Iranian padel
Iranian padel player Amirmohammad Jamshidi hopes his historic bronze medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games will mark the beginning of a sustained run of international success for the sport in the country.
Jamshidi teamed up with Farshid Shahi to defeat Hami Golestani and Arya Roghani in straight sets in an all-Iranian third-place match in the men’s pairs event at the multi-sport event.
“Thanks to the strong support we received from the Iranian federation, we were able to compete in various tournaments before the Asian Games, which played a major role in improving our seeding and made our path somewhat easier,” Jamshidi told IRNA on Tuesday.
Jamshidi and Shahi came within touching distance of a place in the final after winning the first set against the Malaysian pair in the semifinal, before ultimately losing 2-1 (1-6, 6-4, 6-1).
“We were so well prepared that we could see ourselves on the podium. Putting aside the unpredictable nature of sport, we should have reached the final,” he said. “We started the semifinal well, but the match unfolded in a way that prevented us from achieving our goal, and we had to settle for the bronze-medal match.”
“Iranian padel has embarked on a path that can lead to greater success, and we are at the beginning of a journey that can bring many achievements,” he said.