Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei pointed to the importance of winning international sports titles in creating a sense of “national pride” among the public and said such “perseverance” on the international stage is an indication of “the strength and resilience of the Iranian nation.”
Addressing a gathering of Iranian champions and athletes who took part in the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Any failure to deal with those who violate the law, including state officials, ordinary citizens or sports and science award winners, is unacceptable,” ISNA reported.
Winning a title in sport events is “a double-edge sword”, he said, adding that when one abides by the regulations of the games, it is excellent, but when one fails to observe those requirements, it would be “very risky”.
