The Islamic Republic’s authorities dismissed a member of Iran’s national bodybuilding team after he presented his championship medal to his girlfriend.
Reza Hajjar, Iran’s bodybuilding champion, revealed in a video message that he was removed from the national team due to his use of the term “girlfriend.”
As a result, he now has to fund his international trips himself and can only participate on Iran’s B team.
“I have been removed from Iran’s national A team,” Hajjar said. “During the review meeting, I was told that I harmed the team’s honor by using the word ‘girlfriend.'”
He added that he had no regrets and would present his medals to his girlfriend again.
Hajjar also emphasized that his girlfriend has supported him for three years and that he stands by his decision to appreciate her efforts.
However, some social media users have pointed out inconsistencies in Hajjar’s behavior, noting that not long ago, he presented one of his medals to the family of Arman Aliverdi, a Basij member killed during nationwide protests.
They highlighted the stark contrast in his actions and statements over a short period.
The statutes of sports federations and their disciplinary committees do not explicitly ban the use of the term “girlfriend” or prohibit an athlete from dedicating a medal to someone with whom they have an emotional relationship but certain innocuous actions had led to disciplinary measures in the past. For instance, Armin Sohrabian, a defender for Esteghlal FC, was dismissed from his club team due to a tattoo.
Source » iranintl