Kargari: Iran aims to be top three at 2026 Asian Para Games

TEHRAN – Ghafour Kargari, head of the National Paralympic Committee, says that since last year Iran has had a special target for the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya: to finish among the top three countries.

The 25th General Assembly of the National Paralympic Committee was held on Monday with the attendance of Minister of Sports Ahmad Donyamali, Ghafour Kargari, Mohammadshervin Asbaghian, Deputy Minister of Sports, and heads of federations of disabled sports, the blind and visually impaired, and other sports federation presidents.

“Right now, as we are holding this meeting, we are fourth in Asia. That means if the Asian Games were held today, we would be in fourth place. We started training camps last year, and after returning from the UAE (the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games), various meetings have been held. To reach the podium for third place, we must work with collective effort, thoughtful planning, technical development, and scientific advancement,” Kargari said during the assembly.

“We are committed not to fall behind our competitors and to equip ourselves with the latest equipment and scientific knowledge. Here we seek competitive advantages, including integrating psychology with a faith-based approach and the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, especially in athletic nutrition. Elevating the true status of Paralympics is our primary mission. There will also be leaps in the technical affairs of the Paralympic program, and alongside that we must pay attention to media affairs by expanding storytelling, providing training camps for national teams, and conducting foresight-oriented analyses.

“We lack a national team camp, and we have received the necessary directive from the President on this matter, which we must complete for the coming year at minimal cost,” he added.

The head of the National Paralympic Committee continued: “We pledge to implement another 25% of the transformation plan next year. I have weekly meetings about the transformation plan to ensure this work is carried out. Also, next year we will establish the Asia Higher Education and Training Center, with the support of the Minister of Sports and Youth.”

“I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success achieved at the Youth Para-Asian Games, including the Minister of Sports and his deputies, coaches, and officials, for this historic achievement. Next year we will host the fifth Asian Para Games in Nagoya. Since last year we have set a specific target for these Games: to rank among the top three countries. The second target is to pave the way for success at the Los Angeles Paralympics.

“For the Los Angeles Paralympics we have two goals: to be among the top 10 countries and to showcase the culture of valor and to win the most gold medals compared to previous editions. With every event we complete, we will place even greater emphasis on quality. We must focus on gold. Fortunately, there is a consensus on this issue between the Ministry of Sports and the National Paralympic Committee,” Kargari concluded.