Islamic Solidarity Games 2025: Iranian athletes show meteoric rise with impressive medal haul

By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas

Iran capped a dominant run at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh with an impressive haul of 81 medals, showcasing both the competitive depth and evolving athletic profile.

The Iranian delegation of over 190 members bagged 29 gold, 19 silver, and 33 bronze medals for a strong third-place finish after over three weeks of fierce competition that saw well over 3,000 athletes from 57 countries competing across 25 sport categories.

The 20-day event officially ran from November 7 to 21, although some early qualifiers began as early as November 3, turning Saudi Arabia's capital into a bustling grid of venues with tight and overlapping schedules.

Amid this intense pace, Iran's delegation, competing under the banner "Ambassadors of Strength", managed to not only live up to expectations in its traditional bastions but also demonstrated significant progress in newer disciplines.

As the dust settles on Riyadh 2025, the full scope of Iran's campaign comes into sharper focus. What follows is a sport-by-sport breakdown of where the Iranian contingent excelled — and what these results reveal about the country's broader sporting trajectory.

Wrestling: Iran’s mat dominance continues

Wrestling remains the foundation of Iran’s international sporting identity — and Riyadh 2025 was no exception. Freestyle and Greco-Roman teams combined contributed eight gold and one silver and three bronze medals – a 100 percent medal record.

Iranian freestyle wrestlers won four gold medals, apart from two bronzes:

• Amir Hossein Zare, competing in men’s freestyle at 125 kg, dominated his final with a 10-0 victory over Bahrain’s Shamil Sharipov. Zare, already a world champion, added another major title to his collection with a commanding display, winning by technical superiority.
• In the 97 kg class, Amirali Azarpira secured gold with a 5-0 win over Kazakhstan’s Rizabek Aitmukhan. He used tactical step-outs to assert control over his opponent.
• Younes Emami (74 kg) locked in his own gold by defeating Azerbaijan’s Aghanazar Novruzov 5-0, scoring early and maintaining pressure throughout.
• World champion Rahman Amouzad earned a decisive 12-2 victory over Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the final to claim the gold medal in the 65kg category.
• The seasoned team member Kamran Ghasempour managed to earn a bronze in the 86kg category despite his injury and Ali Momeni added another bronze to the tally in the 57kg.

Iran’s Greco-Roman team also brought home four gold, one silver, and one bronze medals.

• Olympics and world champion Saeid Esmaeili (67 kg) defeated Azerbaijan's Hasrat Jafarov 8-3 in the nail-biting finish in the final to add another gold to his collection.
• Gholamreza Farrokhi (87 kg), a young wrestling prodigy, overcame Kazakhstan’s Islam Yevloyev 6-0 in the final match to secure a gold medal. The medal came some two months after he won the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb.
• World and Olympic champion Mohammad Hadi Saravi (97 kg) topped Azerbaijan’s Murad Ahmadiev 5-1 in the final to win gold, leading from the front as captain.
• Fardin Hedayati (130 kg) won by technical fall 9-0 over Egypt’s Mohamed Abdullatif in the final match to bring another gold.
• Amir Abdi (77 kg) lost to Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov and settled for silver and Ali Ahmadi Vafa (60 kg), edged out Azerbaijan’s Nihat Mammadli 3-2 to win a bronze.

Wushu: Martial arts momentum

Iran’s wushu team stole the spotlight in Riyadh, securing four gold medals, along with one silver and one bronze – a historic achievement.

• Amirhossein Hemati claimed gold in men’s sanda (-60 kg) by defeating Egypt’s Youssif Khalid Basyony Mohamed Hamoda 2-0, reaffirming Iran’s dominance in the lower weight classes.
• Erfan Moharami secured the gold medal in men’s sanda (-70 kg), outclassing Kyrgyzstan’s Abror Khakimov 2-0 in the final.
• Sara Shafiei won gold in women’s sanda (-56 kg), earning her victory over Egypt’s Shahd Abdelsadek in a tightly contested match.
• Soheila Mansourian, a world champion, added another international title with gold in women’s sanda (-60 kg) after a 2-0 victory against Egypt’s Habiba Ramadan Abdelaziz Abouomar.
• Meanwhile, Farbod Taleshi picked up silver in men’s sanda (-85 kg), falling short to Egypt’s Alhussein Wahdan in the final. Shahrbano Mansourian (sister of Soheila) won bronze in women’s sanda (-70 kg), a notable result given her pedigree as a multiple-time world champion.

The impressive medal haul in wushu demonstrates Iran’s growing prowess in martial arts, which is increasingly becoming popular in the country, particularly given the variety of weight classes and the competitive field.

Karate: Iran maintains its dominance

With three golds and two silvers, the karate team expectedly delivered a robust and efficient performance, specifically showcasing Iran’s growing proficiency in women’s events.

• Fatemeh Sadeghi Dastak delivered a confident performance to win gold in the women’s individual kata, continuing her rise as one of Iran’s most technically precise karatekas.
• Sara Bahmanyar clinched gold in the women’s –50 kg division, showcasing her trademark speed and tactical discipline throughout the rounds.
• Atousa Golshadnezad added Iran’s third gold in women’s –61 kg after a composed run through a competitive field.
• Iran also collected two silver medals: Morteza Nemati took silver in the men’s –75 kg after a tight final, while Saleh Abazari, a seasoned competitor with Asian Championship credentials, earned silver in the men’s +84 kg.

Iran’s weightlifting dominance in Riyadh

Iran’s power lifters added serious firepower to the team’s campaign in the Riyadh Games, delivering across multiple weight classes.

• Iliya Salehi Pour claimed gold in the men’s 88 kg snatch after lifting 162 kg. He also won a bronze in clean and jerk and silver in total.
• Mahsa Beheshty triumphed in the women’s 86 kg clean & jerk, topping the field with her lift of 134 kg. She also picked up two bronzes in snatch and total.
• Alireza Moeini Sedeh collected two silvers (94 kg total and snatch) and a bronze (94 kg clean & jerk).
• Alireza Nasiri earned silver in the 110 kg clean & jerk; Reihaneh Karimi took two bronzes in the women’s 69 kg (snatch and clean & jerk); Seyedeh Zahra Hosseini won bronze in the women’s 77 kg snatch; and Reza Hassanpour Feremi secured two bronzes in the +110 kg (total and clean & jerk).

Taekwondo: Precision and power on display

Iran’s taekwondo team delivered one of its most balanced campaigns in Riyadh, combining clinical performances from its lightweight fighters with gritty showings across the middle and heavy divisions.

The team’s mix of youth and experience produced medals in nearly every weight class they entered.

• Sayna Karimi bagged gold in the women’s under-46 kg category, using sharp timing and fast counter-attacks to dominate her bracket and secure Iran’s first taekwondo title of the Games. She defeated Azerbaijan’s Minaya Akbarova 2-0 in the final encounter.
• Ali Asghar Ali Moradian added a second gold with a commanding run in the men’s under-60 kg division before edging Afghanistan’s Mohsen Rezaee 2-1 in the final match.
• Iran’s silver medalists also made an impact: Amirreza Sadeghian and Yalda Valinejad took silvers in men’s under-82 kg and women’s under-70 kg, respectively.
• Four fighters reached the podium with bronze medals: Ali Khoshravesh in the men’s under-74 kg, Hasti Mohammadi in the women’s under-57 kg, Rozhan Goudarzi in the women’s under-51 kg, and Melika Mirhosseini Vakili in the women’s over-70 kg.

Table tennis team continued to excel

Iran secured a clutch of medals, including two golds, on the table tennis court with female athletes stealing the limelight.

• Iranian women’s doubles team (Neda Shahsavari and Shima Safaei) won their final with a strong 3-1 victory over Turkey.
• Neda Shahsavari added a second gold by defeating Syria’s Hend Zaza 4-2 to win the women’s singles final.
• The Iranian men’s team won a silver medal, while the women’s team and the men’s doubles team each secured bronze.

Swimming breaks new ground

One of Iran’s most eye-catching moments in Riyadh came in the swimming pool, a space where they have not been traditionally dominant.

• Samyar Abdoli delivered a stunning performance in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, claiming gold with a time of 22.44 seconds.
• Iranian men’s 4×200 m freestyle relay team hit the podium with a bronze, finishing in 7:34.19.
• Homer Abbasi earned silver in the men’s 50m backstroke, while Mohammadmahdi Gholami in the men’s 200m butterfly, and Mohammad Ghasemi in the men’s 200m freestyle each claimed bronze.

Para powerlifting: Rostami adds another gold

2020 and 2024 Paralympics gold medalist Rouhallah Rostami snatched yet another gold medal for his country in the heavyweight category.

He topped the podium after lifting 235kg, with successful attempts at 225kg, 230kg and 235kg, finishing with a total score of 151.297.

Two golds in team events

Iran’s squads secured titles in men’s futsal and men’s volleyball while the women’s volleyball team claimed a decisive podium finish.

• Men’s futsal: Iran, Asian futsal champion and world rank number 5, overpowered African champion Morocco 5-0 in the final match to bring home the title.
• Men’s volleyball: Iran defeated Turkey 3-1 in the final, taking the first two sets 25-20, dropping the third 17-25, and closing out the match 25-17 to seal the gold and defend their 2021 Konya championship.
• Women’s volleyball: Iran swept Tajikistan 25-2, 25-7, 25-8 in the bronze-medal match, dominating all phases of play to secure third place.

Standout moments and breakthroughs

Women’s handball: In a historic moment, the Iranian women’s handball team won bronze, defeating Uzbekistan 29-25 in the playoff.  This was Iran’s first-ever medal in women’s handball at the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Swimming gold: Samyar Abdoli’s gold in the 50 m freestyle marks a noticeable shift. Traditionally, countries like Iran, better known for mat sports and weightlifting, have had a limited presence on the world stage in sprint swimming. This win signals that pathways are opening for more swimmers to emerge beyond the typical powerhouses.

Shining women: Iranian women turned in one of their best team outings at the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2025. Their contribution stood out not only in its scale but also in comparison with previous editions. Iranian female athletes secured 27 medals, including nine golds, four silvers, and fourteen bronzes. This placed them second among women’s teams from 47 participating nations, ahead of traditional regional contenders such as Uzbekistan.

Success was also marked by its breadth across the sporting disciplines: Iranian women reached the podium in events as varied as weightlifting and wushu to table tennis and athletics.

The variety reflected not only competitive strength but also the expansion of women's sports programs in recent years.

What this campaign means for Iran

Iran’s 81-medal haul in Riyadh is notable for many reasons, but what makes it especially meaningful is efficiency and depth.

• Despite fewer events than in the previous Games (270 gold medals were available in Riyadh compared to 379 in Konya 2021), Iran matched its previous gold total of 29.
• Statistically, Iran’s share of gold medals increased: In Riyadh, its 29 golds accounted for 10.74% of all golds — up from 10.29 percent in the 2021 edition, even though there were fewer opportunities.
• Additionally, placing third overall — behind Turkey (72 gold) but tied in gold count with Uzbekistan — shows how competitive the Games remain at the top.

What the officials said

Iran’s National Olympic Committee described the sixth Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh as “a unique opportunity” to showcase the quality, cohesion, and progress of Iranian sport among Islamic nations.

The delegation earned 81 medals through “targeted planning, continuous performance assessment, and a focus on scientific, high-quality preparation,” the committee said in a statement, noting that about 70 percent of Iranian athletes reached the podium, evidence of both the high standard of the squad and the effectiveness of its planning.

A major highlight, the committee noted, was the performance of Iranian women.

They accounted for 38 percent of the team’s gold medals and 41 percent of all medals, up sharply from 17 percent in the previous edition, showing what the NOC called the expanding depth of talent and significant progress in women’s sport.

Overall, Iranian athletes won medals in 19 of the 20 disciplines they took part in and won gold in 11, reflecting, in the committee’s words, “the breadth of medal potential and the quality of the delegation.”

Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, also praised the delegation’s performance, saying, “Their hard work and achievement of third place brought pride to the nation, showcasing resilience, unity, and strength on the international stage.”

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