TEHRAN – “Sports for All – fostering inclusion of persons with disabilities” meeting was held in National Olympic and Paralympic Academy of Iran on Monday.

The one-day seminar was headed by Cvetan Cvetkovski, the officer in charge of UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran, to highlight the important role played by sports and physical education in fostering inclusion of persons with disabilities. 

Hojjatollah Ayoubi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, Abdolhamid Ahmadi, Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth, and sportswomen and sportsmen with disabilities were among the attendees.  

“I would like to start by expressing my sincere appreciation to the National Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Academy, the Municipality of Tehran, the Iranian Federation of Sports for All, the Iran Sports Federation for the Disabled, and the University of Tehran. Your cooperation and contribution to this event are highly appreciated. Without your cordial help, the success of this activity would not become possible,” Cvetkovski said.  

“Lastly but also most importantly, I would like to sincerely thank all the athletes, sportswomen and sportsmen present here. It is you who are the real heroines and heroes of the event. In a sense, the event is not only a one-day occasion, but also a life lesson. To be with you here reminds us one of the most principal lessons in life, and that is always to march on smiling no matter what obstacles are lying there in our way. You help us understand more profoundly than ever the great value of sports for stimulating the vitality of human kind. I feel truly inspired by your optimism and determination,” he added.  

“I would also like to pay tribute to the Government of Iran for the hard work they have done in promotion of sports and physical education for persons with disabilities. Iran has positioned itself as a regional model in fostering inclusion of people with disabilities through sports and physical education. This has brought along true benefits in their physical and mental health and their everyday life and activities.

“In addition, the hard work developed by the national authorities has been considered as best practice by the International Paralympic Committee and it is also well reflected in the successful results that Iranian athletes obtain in all Paralympic competitions. As Nelson Mandela once famously said, “Sports has the power to change the world”. And in fact, we need that power today more than ever before, to strengthen the grounds for more inclusive, healthy and peaceful societies,” Cvetkovski stated.