| Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs
SPORTS DIPLOMACY - SportsUnited
Home > Sports Diplomacy - SportsUnited > Sports Diplomacy with Iran
Lifting the Weight of Diplomacy
“This program has changed my outlook on the U.S. I really felt the spirit of cooperation and friendship.”
- Professor Abbas Ali Gaeini, Iranian Jr. Weightlifting Delegation |
|
Iranian weightlifter during training session |
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' Office of Sports Initiatives sponsored a 12 member delegation from the Iranian Junior Weightlifting Federation to train with U.S.A. Weightlifting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The delegation of seven athletes and five coaches and officials, in partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee spent two weeks training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (OTC), April 26 – May 8, 2008. The high tech facilities at the OTC provided the athletes the necessary training to help prepare them for their upcoming competition in the Junior Olympics in Colombia, South America. The Iranian staff was able to witness state of the art medical techniques that they planned to take home and utilize. The group often commented that the OTC was the best facility they have seen in their sport. Throughout this exchange the Iranian coaches noticed an increase in confidence with their group. They attributed the newly found self-assurance with learning and training along side the American athletes.
Besides training, the visitors had the opportunity to attend a playoff basketball game between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers hosted by the NBA. Though Denver was not able to pull off a win, the group learned the phrase “Go Nuggets”, and shouted their support for the home team. The delegation also met with many esteemed Colorado Springs’ city officials including a very informative meeting with the Mayor as well as members of the Colorado Springs City Council.
The entire delegation continuously expressed their gratitude throughout their trip to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Olympic Committee. The warm welcome, the excellent facilities, and the solidarity that was forged with the American athletes far exceeded their expectations. The Iranian delegation trained extremely hard, experienced many new things, and hopefully made some new American friends along the way.
Back to the top
| 
