Former National Wrestler Mehrdad Mardani: I Had to Immigrate to Canada

Mehrdad Mardani, bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2018 Asian Games, stated that he left Iran out of 'necessity' after immigrating to Canada, where he will compete in mixed martial arts (MMA). According to ISNA news agency, Mardani considered changing his sport a difficult decision due to his deep love for wrestling, and mentioned that after being forced to emigrate, he had to change his sport and pursue a professional career in a non-specialized field. Born in 1992 in Izeh, Khuzestan province, Mardani's immigration coincides with a new wave of Iranian emigration, including athletes. Domestic news sources reported on December 3 that Mahsa Pourrahmati and Mohammad Rahimi, a medal-winning fencing couple, also emigrated to Canada. In recent years, especially after the deadly government crackdown on popular protests, particularly the nationwide protests of 2022, the trend of emigration among various groups, including specialists, doctors, nurses, artists, and athletes, has accelerated, going beyond the realm of 'educated emigration.' Former Iranian taekwondo national team member Fatemeh Rouhani moved to Germany, Marjan Kalhor, the first Olympic skier woman who was the flag bearer for Iran at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, along with her husband Pouria Saveh Shamshaki, former captain of Alpine skiing, moved to France, and Atefeh Ahmadi, another skier and flag bearer for Iran at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, moved to Germany. Mohammad Ganjkhanlou, Iran's representative at the World Championships, moved to Scotland, among other migrations or asylum cases involving around 70 professional Iranian athletes who continue their activities under flags other than that of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 'Iran Migration Observatory,' a subsidiary of Sharif University of Technology, previously reported on the impact of internal and external factors on the desire of scientific, cultural, and sports elites to emigrate, stating that these individuals are primarily motivated by external factors, namely 'the conditions in the country.' The increase in the migration of Iran's healthcare staff by tenfold in five years is seen as a 'foreshock' of a devastating earthquake, alongside issues like drug shortages and ineffective government management, leading to the rise of 'asylum-seeking patients' in other countries. Erbil, Iraq, has become a new destination for Iranian workers, while the consequences of the Islamic Republic's 'anti-women' policies have led to an increase in women's emigration. The exodus of Iranian athletes and artists continues, with the fencing couple's migration to Canada being a notable case. The Cycling Federation claimed that Ganjkhanlou's asylum was the result of 'bad advice.' The wave of athlete emigration has intensified, with a national taekwondo athlete seeking asylum and two Olympic skiers migrating. Atefeh Ahmadi's asylum declaration in Germany has shocked the head of the skiing federation.