Halim bin Kader, Secretary General of Sepak Takraw International Federation and President of the Asian Federation, met and discussed with Dr. Manaf Hashemi, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee.
Iran NOC; Tehran: While welcoming
the Secretary General of the International Federation, Dr. Seyed Manaf Hashemi stated:
“Your continued visits to Iran in a way express your special and supportive
view of our Sepak Takraw and it is highly appreciated. We appreciate the growth
and promotion of this discipline, especially that Sepak Takraw has been attended
by many enthusiasts, especially our youth, but it seems that its movement
process was a little slow; however, in recent years, it has gained a good
momentum and gradually with its potential, it can move towards becoming a
federation so that we can offer more help”.
“Considering Iran's hosting the
under-23 boys' competitions that will be held in August, we thank you for your
support in this regard and we promise that the National Olympic Committee will
have the necessary support in terms of material and spiritual aspects in
holding these competitions, and this discipline will definitely have a high
chance to be included in our delegation in the indoor Asian games in Bangkok after
being reviewed by the experts” held the NOC Secretary-General.
In addition, the Secretary
General of the International Sepak Takraw Federation, while appreciating the
support of the National Olympic Committee highlighted: “I have been following
the arrival, growth and development of Sepak Takraw in Iran from the beginning,
and I know how much they worked, that's why I have a special look. I have the
support for Iran, so when the discussion of leading this discipline in Central
Asia came up, despite the fact that one of the countries expressed interest, I reflected
that it is the responsibility of Iran, which has worked hard for the growth and
promotion of Sepak Takraw these years; holding four international positions by
the Iranian representatives itself is a proof of this claim”.
The Singaporean President of the
Asian Federation, continued: "When I was planning to travel to Iran, the
Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of my country asked me to
convey his greetings to the officials of the National Olympic Committee of
Iran. I am personally very happy that there are good interactions in sports
between the two countries. I hope that if there is a program for a sports
memorandum of understanding between the two countries, it will definitely pay
special attention to Sepak Takraw and use the experiences of Singaporean
coaches in Iran. Also I hope that one day I will witness it become an
independent federation in Iran”.