By Ahmad Rafat
Mobina Nematzadeh, an Iranian taekwondo competitor, won a bronze medal in the 49-kilogram category at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the second Iranian woman to secure an Olympic medal.
Another notable performance at this year’s Olympics was from Iranian taekwondo athlete Nahid Kiani, who secured a silver medal in the 57-kilogram division.
Historically, the first Iranian woman ever to win an Olympic medal was the taekwondo champion Kimia Alizadeh: In 2016, she garnered a bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
At this year’s Paris Games, Alizadeh won another bronze medal in the 57-kilogram category – but she competed in the Bulgarian team, not in the Islamic Republic’s.
Olympics- Iranian Exile Alizadeh Edged by Old Friend Kiyanichandeh
Kayhan London reported in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Kiani and Alizadeh shared the podium as well as a heartfelt embrace at the Paris Games, but the moment was omitted from broadcasts by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Meanwhile, Nematzadeh dedicated her medal to Imam Zaman (the 12th Shia Imam Mahdi) and requested that the newly elected Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian assist her in enrolling at a university without taking the entrance exam. She explained that she was unable to take the university entrance exam because of her commitment to compete in the Olympics, and emphasized the importance of balancing her academic pursuits.
Nematzadeh, a 19-year-old taekwondo athlete of the Iranian team, defeated a Saudi opponent to win bronze. She won in the 49-kilogram division in two rounds in the fight against Dunya Abutaleb from Saudi Arabia – becoming the second female Olympic medalist in the history of Iranian sports.
In an interview with an IRIB reporter, she said: “I had made a promise to Imam Zaman to get a medal and present my medal to the people of Iran and Imam Zaman.”
Mohammad Moghimi, the president of Tehran University, promptly granted Nematzadeh’s request. She will most likely be able to enroll in any field of her choice for the next academic year without taking an entrance exam.
Nematzadeh will also receive the title of Honorary Servant of Qom’s Jamkaran Mosque, an accolade presented by the mosque’s Friday Prayers leader, Ali Akbar Ojaghnejad, in recognition of her donation of a bronze medal to the 12th Shiite Imam.
Indeed, it is standard for countries to reward athletes who succeed in international competitions, particularly in the Olympics, which is a highly esteemed global event. Many nations recognize their citizens with monetary rewards and various other benefits.
However, there has been no precedent for individuals to gain university admission without taking entrance exams.
There were no Iranian gold medalists at this year’s Olympics.
According to the official statement released by Iran’s Ministry of Sports and Youth and the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic, had there been athletes who secured gold medals at the Paris Olympics, they would have been awarded $297,766 in total. That’s based on the current exchange rate of 604,500 rials to a U.S. dollar.
Of the prize money, $132,341 would have come from the Ministry of Sports and Youth, while the remaining $165,426 would have come from the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic.
When the Olympic Games were first held in Athens in 1896, participation was restricted to amateur athletes only, and the awarding of cash prizes was prohibited. This policy reflected the ideals of the time, emphasizing sportsmanship and competition without financial incentives.
In stark contrast to those early games, the current landscape of the Olympics has evolved significantly. Athletes competing in events such as the 2024 Paris Olympics often have various avenues for earning income through sports.
It is important to note that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) itself does not provide any cash prizes for medal winners.
The gold medal, a coveted achievement for athletes worldwide, is only partially made of gold. It comprises 6 grams of gold and 505 grams of silver. The intrinsic value of this medal is approximately $950, although it has fetched prices in the tens of thousands at international auctions, influenced by factors such as the owner’s identity and historical significance.
The time a gold medal was crafted from pure gold was in 1912.
Besides monetary rewards, several nations have explored offering prizes or unique benefits to their medalists. For instance, athletes who win medals for Hong Kong are granted a lifetime exemption from subway fares. Similarly, Indonesian athletes who secured medals at the Tokyo Olympics were awarded five cows each as recognition for their achievements.
Every athlete who returns from the Paris Olympics with a medal in Malaysia is awarded a luxury car as a token of appreciation for their achievements.
In Kazakhstan, the approach to honoring medal winners is slightly different. Athletes are rewarded with an apartment, the size of which varies depending on the type of medal they have won.
In Latin America, countries like Mexico and Colombia have adopted a unique method of rewarding their champion athletes. They allocate funds seized from drug-trafficking gangs to provide monetary rewards for these athletes.
The Iraqi government has announced that it will provide financial support to all athletes from the country who competed in the Paris Olympics. This support includes a piece of land, a cash payment of £6,555, and a monthly salary of $328 for the rest of their lives, irrespective of their performance in the competition.
Meanwhile, South Korea has implemented a policy that exempts athletes who win medals from mandatory military service, recognizing their achievements on an international stage.
By contrast, Britain does not provide additional bonuses for Olympic medalists. Instead, British athletes receive funding primarily to support their training and preparation for the Olympics.
