TEHRAN – Iranian karate athlete Atousa Golshadnezhad, who won a gold medal at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG) last week, is looking to achieve further success in upcoming competitions.

She defeated Tunisian Wafa Mahjoub 7-4 in the women’s -61kg final in Riyadh. Golshadnezhad also expressed her hope that karate will return to the Olympics.

“In my opinion, the level of the Islamic Solidarity Games was very high, and I fought well to win the gold medal,” Golshadnezhad stated. “The finalist in the competition is ranked No. 4 in the world, but I managed to defeat her and secure the gold.”

“We will participate in the World Championships hosted in Egypt next week. I hope we can also deliver our best performance there and return to our country with a strong showing,” she added.

Expressing hope that karate will return to the Olympic Games, Golshadnezhad said, “I truly hope this happens, and with the efforts that the World Karate Federation is making, perhaps we will again become an Olympic sport. The absence of karate in the Olympic Games is truly a great loss.”