28 Mar 2024
Friday 12 May 2017 - 11:38
Story Code : 260553

Former athletes under fire in Tehran City Council elections

Al-Monitor l Zahra Alipour: Late last year, Mansour Pourheidari, a former member of Irans national soccer team and a veteran coach, succumbed to cancer. Hours after his death on Nov. 4, former world wrestling champion (1998) and Tehran City Council member Abbas Jadidi was seen posing next to Pourheidaris body in a picture posted online. The photo unleashed a wave of criticism on Persian-language social media networks, with many questioning whether Jadidi was suited to serve on the Tehran City Council.

The criticismdid not stop at Jadidi. As Iran preparesto hold its fifthcity and village council elections withthe presidential electionon May 19,the competency and expertise of the incumbent Tehran City Council, especially the athletes in its ranks, have been challenged by the public and in the media.The incumbent council members include two-time Olympic weightlifting championHossein Rezazadeh, two-time Olympic taekwondo gold medalistHadi Saei as well as world wrestling championand Olympic gold medalistAlireza Dabir. The four athletes were registered to run again in the upcoming council elections, but the parliamentary committee overseeing the votedisqualified all but Saei.

Prior to the vetting process, there wasspeculationthat the athletes would not be approved due to their holdingdual nationalities. However, after his disqualification, Dabirdenied being a dual national.

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