TEHRAN - Iran’s Chef de Mission for the 2020 Asian Beach Games, Peyman Fakhri, says that the Iranian athletes have a chance of winning medal in all sports, however the swimmers will take part at the Games to gain experience.

In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Fakhri talked about the situation of the teams representing Iran at the rescheduled Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.

“Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the postponement of the competitions, we could not force any federation to start the training camp of their teams. So, it is based on each federation’s readiness for starting the training session. Of course, most of our teams and athletes have started their training, but there is not the proper situation for all the federations to make plan for intensive team camps,” Fakhri said.

The Asian Beach Games was set to be held in November 2020 but is now due to take place from April 2 to 10, 2021 in the Chinese city, Sanya, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Iran’s NOC will send more than 60 athletes across 10 sports to the Games. The nation's delegation to the Asian Beach Games includes football, volleyball, handball, wrestling, athletic, kabaddi, sport climbing, water polo, swimming, and 3x3 basketball.

“So far, 60 athletes have been registered for the competitions. However, the country’s National Olympic Committee will consider the athletes’ condition and there may be some changes in the final number of the participants,” he added.

Fakhri believes that except swimming, Iran has a chance to win medal in all other nine sports at the competitions.

“The athletes will be selected through the examination of their conditions for obtaining medals. Iranian athletes have a chance to win medal in all sports in the Asian Beach Games except swimming, which is a sport that we want to support it for the future and we do not expect to win medal in this event for now," he concluded.

Since the event first took place in Bali in Indonesia 12 years ago, Iran has racked up 56 medals - the sixth highest in the medal rankings - with 31 of those coming in Thailand 2014.