January 28, 2025
A The Pasdaran have ordered that Olympic medalist Nahid Kiani be removed from Iran’s women’s taekwondo team after she was photographed embracing former Iranian athlete Kimia Alizadeh at the 2024 Paris Olympics, IranWire has reported.
The Pasdar Intelligence Organization issued a directive mandating Kiani’s replacement with Mobina Nematzadeh, a taekwondo athlete known for her pro-government stance, IranWire said January 28.
Its sources said Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali called a meeting last October with ministry security officials, Taekwondo Federation representatives, Federation President Hadi Saei, and a Pasdar representative.
During this meeting, Donyamali presented a six-month strategy to phase Kiani out of competitions while elevating her designated replacement gradually.
The decision was prompted by Kiani’s interaction with Alizadeh, who defected from Iran in 2020 and now competes under the Bulgarian flag.
In an Instagram post, Alizadeh said, “I am not a history maker, nor the flag bearer of Iran. I am one of millions of oppressed Iranian women who have been dictated to for years. They controlled my every move, my clothing, and even my words. They used my medals to promote their own agenda.”
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, two Iranian taekwondo athletes stood on the podium. Nahid Kiani won a silver medal in the 57 kg category, while Mobina Nematzadeh secured a bronze in the 49 kg category.
On the podium, Nahid Kiani embraced her longtime friend and former teammate, Kimia Alizadeh, and took a selfie with her.
In contrast, Mobina Nematzadeh dedicated her medal to the Islamic Republic. She said she “had promised the Mahdi” to win a medal and then offered her achievement to the twelfth Shia Imam. Nematzadeh also proclaimed her support for Gaza, the “resistance forces” and Hamas, while expressing hatred for Israel.
Despite her higher-ranking silver medal, Nahid Kiani received almost no coverage in domestic media. Meanwhile, Nematzadeh became a media darling and received attention from state-run outlets and even members of the Majlis.
In August 2024, Nematzadeh asked to bypass the national university entrance exam and be enrolled directly in medical school. Her request was approved, despite some public backlash.
An IranWire source in the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs revealed that in September, less than a month after Ahmad Donyamali was appointed Minister of Sports, Pasdar intelligence representatives asked him to begin removing Kiani from the national taekwondo team. They said the process should be discreet, with minimal media coverage, especially internationally.
According to the IranWire source, the idea to promote Nematzadeh from the 49 kg weight class to 57 kg directly competing with Kiani originated from within the Pasdaran.
The source said, “It appeared they had already discussed this plan with both the federation and Hadi Saei. Donyamali didn’t issue orders during the meeting; he simply outlined a roadmap that everyone, including the Pasdaran and Saei, was already aware of.”
