SPORTS
Iran and sport: The Polo or Chogan is a traditional team game that has a history of over 2000 years in Iran and was the best known and favorite game in the royal courts and for ordinary people it was born in Iran.
The other traditional sport is an ancient martial art which combines physical training with philosophy and spirituality, it is called Varzesh-e Pahlavani which is a very ancient sport practice. The origins of this sport date back to the Mithraic period. Through this discipline the body and the mind reach a perfect state of physical and mental health; this ancient sporting discipline has adapted over time to the spirituality of Islam: the movements and ritual gestures practiced in the ceremony belong to the everyday life of the ancient Persian heroes to whose strength and spiritual courage society attached great value. They were the defenders of the homeland and the territory.
Zurkhaneh(Casa della Forza) are built at a lower level than the ground floor, which can be accessed through numerous steps. The symbolic meaning of this custom lies in the profound humility with which the wrestlers place themselves before humanity.
Their entry into the "Casa della Forza" (Zurkhaneh) is scanned by one music rhythm that constantly accompanies the struggle, which is thus nourished by the most refined songs and mystical poetic texts, by venerable poets such as Rumi, Hafez, Sa'adi e Firdousi.
Another traditional and particularly popular sport is the Greco-Roman struggle.
Among modern sports the most followed by the Iranian people is football. The Iranian selection has won the Asian Nations Cup three times (1968, 1972 and 1976) and has participated five times in the World Cup: in the 1978, in the 1998, in the 2006, in the 2014e in the 2018.
Very important is also the Iranian national football team at 5, which won ten of the eleven editions of the continental championship. He also participated six times in the world tournament, coming fourth in the 1992.
Volleyball is the second most popular modern sport and the Iranian men's national volleyball team has participated in the World League since 2013 (best result: 4th place in the 2014 edition).
Being a mountainous country, Iran is an ideal place for hiking, mountaineering and climbing. In the country there are numerous ski resorts, the most famous of which are those of the Dizin, Shemshak and Tochal mountains, all located about three hours away from the capital Tehran. The Tochal ski resort is the fifth highest in the world (the arrival point of the highest ski lift is located at 3.730 meters).
Basketball is also popular in Iran and the Iranian team has won three Asian championships since 2007 and many Iranian basketball players have played in the NBA.
In 1974 Iran was the first country in Western Asia to host the Asian Games.
Iran participated for the first time in the Olympic Games in the 1900. Iranian athletes have won 44 medals at the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games. The National Olympic Committee of Persia was created and recognized by the IOC in the 1947.