Assets of Iran's Weightlifting Federation Seized Due to 'Billion-Dollar Debt'

Iranian media reports that part of the assets of the Islamic Republic Weightlifting Federation has been seized due to a 'billion-dollar debt.' The Tasnim news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, announced on Saturday, December 22, that this action was taken by the contractor of the 'Iranians' hall, who claims to be owed 'nearly 24 billion tomans' by the Weightlifting Federation. Accordingly, this contractor, upon entering the Weightlifting Federation, collected some of its assets, including computers, printers, and phones, and placed them in a room. In response to this news, the president of the Weightlifting Federation told the Fars news agency: 'This issue dates back to the management of the previous federation.' Sajjad Anoushiri, the president, attributed this issue to the opponents of the Weightlifting Federation and stated: 'Some are trying to create controversy after Iran's success in the World Championship.' The Weightlifting Federation of Iran opposes the membership of an Olympic champion in the Kosovo national team. Meanwhile, Mr. Anoushiri had previously spoken of 'good faith,' 'interaction,' and 'understanding' with the other party in an interview with ISNA in early December. The president of the Weightlifting Federation stated that the condemnation of the federation in this case is definitive and that they must pay the fine, adding that the creditor 'has given us enough time to pay.' He also confirmed that the federation's accounts remain frozen due to the debt. Fatemeh Keshavarz, an Iranian weightlifter, has 'disappeared' in Spain. Financial problems within the Weightlifting Federation have persisted for over a decade, with many reports in recent years highlighting the federation's lack of funds. In this context, Iranian male national weightlifters left the national team's camp two years ago due to the poor conditions of the camp, which stemmed from the federation's financial issues. Weightlifting is considered one of Iran's medal-winning sports in international and Olympic competitions. The Iranian national weightlifting team was the runner-up in the World Championships that concluded last week.