Iran’s women athletes fight for gold on the international stage
Iran’s martial arts team finished their martial arts campaign at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, with astonishing success, Press TV reported on August 12th.Â
The female fighters competed against top martial artists from around the world and took home three medals, including two gold and one bronze.
Yasaman Bagherzadeh, known for her persistent spirit and calculated strikes, earned her third gold medal for Iran in the women’s 70kg sanda division. In her final fight, Bagherzadeh earned her victory after she toppled China’s Zhu Hailan, with a 2-1 finish. Standing on the first-place podium, Bagherzadeh was seen saluting Iran’s Armed Forces.
Sanda is a modern Chinese full-contact combat sport that combines traditional Kung Fu techniques with modern fighting. The sport includes striking the opponent with punches, kicks and takedowns.Â
Soheila Mansourian is a seasoned champion for Iran. Mansourian won a bronze medal in the women’s 60kg category, taking down Hong Kong’s Tsz Ching Chan with a 2-0 score in straight rounds. Earlier in the Games, Shahin Bani-Tabrizi struck gold in taolu, meaning two of Iran’s three gold medals in Chengdu have now come from wushu.
Iran’s women have developed a strong presence in martial arts competitions in recent years, Iran Front Page reported on April 9th. Despite walking away with a bronze medal this time, earlier this year, Mansourian earned a gold medal in the women’s 75kg category at the 10th Sanda World Cup in Jiangyin, China. Sedigheh Daryaee, competing in the 65kg category, secured another gold for Iran in April after she defeated Australia’s Nicole Luo.
Iran’s government and sports media has done little to empower female athletes and the country’s World Games win was ignored by most media outlets. The UN reported on March 14th that Iranian officials have used drones and apps to enforce women’s dress code. The government also urged people to report women who refuse to obey the compulsory veiling laws. Â
Female athletes in Iran face common challenges, including insufficient facilities and a lack of funding and sponsors. The restrictions placed on journalists and outlets limits coverage of women’s sports and only amplifies the already low levels of female empowerment.
Until she posted photos on social media, Iranian media failed to document Bita Moradkhani’s fourth-place finish at the Asian Skating Championships in South Korea on July 25th, Iran Wire reported on August 14th.
Moradkhani, who first appeared in a competition last year, has been named one of Iran’s most promising artistic roller skaters. In 2024, at 21-years-old, Moradkhani earned a silver medal for Iran at the Asian Championships.
Moradkhani’s Instagram posts provide a rare glimpse into the life of Iran’s female skaters and their achievements. In an Instagram post, she wrote: “I am Beta Moradkhani, 10 national championship winner, 2016 World Cup silver medalist in Italy and 2023 Asian Championship silver medalist in China, with 8 years of experience in the national figure skating team.”
Artistic roller skating combines music, skating and dance. Athletes perform movements using four-wheeled roller skates, including rapid spinning elements and jumps.
“[The national figure skating team] has faced many difficulties and obstacles, except with hard work and endurance,” Moradkhani added. “Competing for us was very difficult and despite not having any experience compared to other countries, our presence in this competition was a very valuable experience along with gaining more motivation and efforts to achieve a higher position for figure skating in Iran and the world.”
Press TV, Iran Front Page, United Nations, Iran Wire, Maghrebi.org, Instagram
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