400m record holder: Olympics is a goal I will never give up on

According to Mehr reporter, the third stage of Iran's national track and field team camp has started on Friday, January 14, with the presence of 36 selected athletes. This camp, which is being held centrally for the first time, is considered an important step in the planning of the federation to improve the level of preparation of the national team.

According to plans, after the end of this camp, record-setting competitions will be held in Bushehr province. These competitions are considered as an opportunity to measure the performance of the athletes and evaluate the policies of the federation in the field of holding concentrated camps.

It remains to be seen what results the national track and field athletes will achieve in this record setting and to what extent this camp has been able to influence their preparation.

Mehdi Pirjehan, a member of the national athletics team, in a conversation with Mehr reporter, said about the quality of the national team's concentrated camps hosted by the Aftab El-Eghlab sports complex: I was absent in the first stage due to personal issues, but during this time I attended the camps, the conditions I find it desirable. Everything is almost fine and the kids are following their preparation process in peace.

Iran's 400-meter hurdles record holder also said about the record-setting competition that is scheduled to be held in February: This competition will be held in early February, and it is the first time that it will be hosted by Bushehr. From the day that the national team's concentrated camps started, almost most of the athletes are motivated to achieve their desired record with good and appropriate training or to be able to show up in these camps with good performance.

He emphasized: Record-setting competitions are also very important since we have several important events ahead of us next year. Until today, we had not done this record in the open space and it will be a new experience for us, of course, it may bring challenges, but in the end we hope and try to be our best.

This national runner answered the question that you lost the chance to participate in the Olympics twice, what has motivated you to continue the journey now? He said: Although I had won the quota for the Tokyo Olympic Games, unfortunately I could not appear in this big arena due to the corona virus. For the second time and for the Paris Olympics, I tried very hard, but in any case, I was not able to get the entrance to these games.

Pirjehan added: But since when I set a goal for something in life, nothing can make me stop trying, so I started again for the next Olympics. Of course, I have been disappointed many times on this path, but I came back with mental recovery and continued. I would like to achieve my goal one day. The Olympics is a process that I started many years ago and I am never willing to give up on it easily. I hope that with my efforts and the support of the officials present in the federation, I will see the realization of my goals.

The 400m hurdles record holder said about his assessment of the upcoming competitions: 2025 is a busy year for us and we have to participate in 2 important competitions nearby. The games of the Islamic countries and the Asian Championship are competitions in which the national team must be present. The effort of all the athletes present in the camps is to be able to prepare themselves to participate in these competitions and to be able to bring a colorful medal.

In response to the question, what do you want from the athletics federation to achieve your goals? He explained: As the head of the federation, Ehsan Haddadi is a mature person who is aware of all the needs of children. He started his career by renovating the Aftab El-Englab complex and assigning it to the national team, which was a really important and big step. He definitely has plans to continue. Naturally, our desire is to hold these camps in ideal conditions, which, thank God, everything is suitable for now. The only request we have now is to increase the number of selection competitions so that athletes have more opportunities to participate in the national team.

In the end, Pirjehan said about the fate of recruiting a foreign coach: I used to train with a Serbian coach, but I paid all the expenses of this coach. Currently, the national team camps are going on with the presence of Iranian coaches and we have no problems at the moment.