Iran's Deaf Judo and Taekwondo Athletes Excluded from World Championships Due to 'Lack of Sufficient Budget'

Iran's deaf judo and taekwondo athletes have been excluded from participating in the World Championships in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan due to what has been declared as a 'lack of sufficient budget.' According to ISNA news agency on Tuesday, April 10, Mehdi Derakhshandeh, the head of the Iranian Deaf Judo Association, stated that this is the second time the deaf judo team has been unable to attend global competitions due to 'lack of financial resources.' He mentioned that a team consisting of eight judokas, seven men and one woman, was supposed to compete in Kazakhstan from April 12 to 14. Previously, the Iranian deaf judo team had achieved the runner-up position in the Asian and Oceania Deaf Championships in 2015 in Taiwan. The team had won two gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals in the eighth edition of the Asia and Oceania Games. The cancellation of athletes' participation in international competitions due to insufficient funding has occurred several times before. Nasser Rasouli, head of national teams' organizations, announced on March 11, 2023, that the national shooting team’s trip to India was canceled, citing 'the country's currency conditions' and 'failure to secure the necessary financial resources for the federation.' This is while government religious ceremonies, including 'Arbaeen,' are held annually with billions of tomans allocated. Mehdi Chamran, head of the Tehran City Council, had announced in August of last year the allocation of 300 billion rials from the capital's municipality budget for the 'Arbaeen' religious ceremony. The coach of the Iranian women's hockey team stated that equipment and ticket costs were covered personally. The cancellation of the bodybuilding national team’s trip to the Asian Championships occurred just one hour before the flight. World wrestling stars are set to compete instead of Iran against the U.S. team.