Support for Athletes Must Not Stop at Promises

Shahrekord – Officials must present practical and effective solutions to reduce training costs, improve facilities, and create opportunities for athletes to take part in competitions.

In a conversation with Mehr reporter, Ali Jamshidi, referring to the challenges facing Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari athletes to participate in the national teams and caravans to the Asian Games, stated: One of the main problems of sports in the province is the lack of infrastructure and sports facilities and the lack of sufficient support for the athletes. Conditions that cause sports talents to face many difficulties to reach their true position.

Stating that the per capita situation of sports facilities in the province needs a detailed and expert review, he added: When there are not enough basic facilities for sports activities, it is not possible to expect athletes to progress without problems. In such a situation, athletes have to spend more effort and money to achieve success than their counterparts in more prosperous provinces.

This Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari basketball player, criticizing the lack of attention given to the status of athletes in the province, stated: In many countries of the world, athletes have a high social status and are known as role models of the society, but in our province, the conditions are such that athletes, even after years of effort and success, do not have support commensurate with their status.

Jamshidi continued: Sometimes an athlete from the province has to train in other cities in order to reach the professional level, take advantage of the facilities of those regions and reach the national team with great effort. While he could have followed the same path in his province, if he had been given the necessary facilities and support.

Pointing to the need to pay attention to the living conditions and motivation of the athletes, he said: The current economic conditions have made professional activity difficult for many athletes. When the athlete tries for years but does not receive adequate support and reward, it is natural to face more problems. This issue can also affect the motivation of young athletes.

heavy training costs; A serious obstacle for basketball players

This athlete from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, referring to the problems of access to sports halls, said: sometimes there are serious problems even for daily training. An athlete who wants to work professionally must have access to a suitable gym, but in some cases using the gym requires paying significant fees.

He added: For example, if an athlete wants to train for an hour to an hour and a half in the hall, he may face a cost of around 1 million 500 thousand Tomans. An amount that is not easy to provide for many athletes. When the athlete faces such obstacles to perform basic training, the preparation path for national and Asian competitions will also become more difficult.

Criticizing the lack of effective support from some responsible institutions, Jamshidi said: It is expected that the sports trustees of the province, especially in the field of infrastructure and provision of training facilities, have a stronger supporting role. An athlete cannot be expected to compete at the national and international level, but face difficulties to meet his most basic sports needs.

The need to support local talents to participate in Asian competitions

In response to the question of what measures can provide the background for the greater presence of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari athletes in the upcoming Asian Games, he said: First of all, the basic sports facilities in the province should be strengthened. Access to standard gyms, providing suitable training conditions, financial support for talented athletes and paying attention to the needs of coaches are among the measures that can make the path of progress smoother.

Emphasizing the necessity of supporting elite athletes, this basketball player said: An athlete who has the talent and ability to participate at the national level should not be forced to leave his province to continue his professional activity. If necessary conditions are provided in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, many of these talents can grow in this province and appear in national and international competitions with the name of their province.

Jamshidi also emphasized the importance of attracting financial sponsors and added: "The private sector can play an effective role in the development of sports, but a proper platform must be provided to realize this issue." When a group or sponsor comes in to help the sport, it expects to have a clear and supportive mechanism for cooperation.

Referring to his experience of trying to attract financial sponsors in the sports of the province, he said: In one of the meetings related to attracting sponsors, the issue was raised as to why athletes and sports boards are charged for the use of the sports hall, while the same groups need financial support for the development of sports. Such conditions can make the participation process of financial sponsors difficult.

This athlete from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari emphasized the need to review the way of managing sports in the province and noted: the development of sports cannot be achieved only with administrative correspondence and partial decisions. Athletes need practical support, long-term planning, and stable facilities, and officials must provide conditions where sports talents can focus on their training and development without primary concerns.

He added: If the share of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province in Iran's sports caravan is going to increase in the upcoming Asian Games, it should be done from today to identify talents, support talented athletes and provide the necessary infrastructure. You can't think about the preparation of athletes on the eve of the competition; This path requires continuous planning and support throughout the years of sports activity.

In the end, Jamshidi pointed out the difficulty of the athletes of the province to reach high-level competitions and said: Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari athletes have the necessary talent and motivation, but they need more serious support to reach the position they deserve. If the facilities, training conditions and financial and management support are improved, we can hope that more athletes from this province will make it to the national teams and participate in important events such as the Asian Games.