Historical Achievement

Iran Hockey reached the World Cup after 54 years of effort and secured third place; this result is one of the most significant achievements in the sport’s history in the country.

Tour of the International Hockey Stadium

That morning (Friday) a tour of the International Hockey Stadium was held. The event was attended by Ahmad Danyamali, Minister of Sport and Youth; Seyyed Mohammad Sharvin Asbagian, Deputy for Development of Championship Sports; Mohsen Motamed Kiya, Director General of Public Relations of the Ministry of Sport; and Bahram Kadimi, President of the Hockey Federation, along with national hockey players.

Interview with the Federation President

Bahram Kadimi, President of the Hockey Federation, told reporters: "In the hall we had been active for years, but field hockey has only been seriously developed in the country for about five years. With the minister’s assistance, the conditions of the international hockey field also changed and about 500 tons of waste and debris were removed from the site."

Infrastructure Development

Kadimi added: "After 54 years we were able to participate in the World Cup and achieve third place. This was the result of planning, multiple training camps, and the efforts of players and coaching staff. Even in crisis conditions, with the support of the ministry, the path to sending the national team was smoothed, and the players prepared themselves for the competition with about 15 training camps."

Stadium Construction Cost

Regarding the stadium, he said: "This complex cost about 20 billion Tomans, and we must thank the Ministry of Sport and the Sports Facilities Development and Maintenance Company that helped create this infrastructure."

Why Hockey Was Absent from the Asian Games

Kadimi explained: "The national team had a camp in Semnan and players were ready to depart, but wartime conditions and the anxiety and stress created for the players caused us to cancel the camp due to family circumstances. At that time, flight facilities and necessary conditions for deployment were not available, so we decided to forgo sending the team."

Future Outlook

In closing, Kadimi emphasized: "To continue this path and achieve greater successes, we still need support and infrastructure development. Our goal is to build another grass field so that, in addition to maintaining our global standing, we can host major Asian competitions."