Sanya (China), April 24 -- Despite the impact of war, the Iranian delegation arrived in Sanya on schedule to compete in the 6th Asian Beach Games, demonstrating resilience and a commitment to peace through sport.
"A war broke out and disrupted all our plans, but we had to come to China. We are here to show that Iran is alive and that our athletes can still compete," said Mahdi Alinejad, secretary general of the Iranian National Olympic Committee on Thursday.
The Games opened on Wednesday in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. The nearly 100-member Iranian delegation managed to participate as scheduled despite challenges including suspended flights and disrupted training.
"We started preparing for the Games six months ago. Unfortunately...