Tehran, Iran, January 4, 2022: The National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran has finalised its sports entry for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September 2022.

The NOC reports that the Higher Headquarters for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games held a meeting in order to evaluate the presence of different disciplines in the event.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Seyed Hamid Sajjadi, Minister of Sports and Youth; Dr. Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, President of the National Olympic Committee; Dr. Nasralah Sajjadi, Advisor to the President of the National Olympic Committee; Dr. Kaykavos Saeidi, NOC Secretary General; Ali Raghbati, Director General of Planning and Supervision of the Ministry of Sports and Youth; Peyman Fakhri, Director of the National Teams Monitoring Center and Chef de Mission, and other top-ranking sports officials.

There will be 40 sports, 61 disciplines and 482 events at the 19th Asian Games, which will run from September 10-25, 2022 in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province in eastern China, and five co-host cities.

The Iranian sports officials divided the sports and disciplines into three categories: sports expected to win a medal, sports with a chance to win a medal, and sports deemed unlikely to win a medal.

The discussions ended with 26 sports and disciplines being confirmed for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. 

“In this meeting, sending women to the Asian Games was considered with a supportive view,” the NOC said.

The entry includes esports, which will be a discipline of mind sports and will be contested for the first time as an official medal sport after being a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games.

Kabaddi is also there, after Iran won the gold medal in both the women’s and men’s competitions at the 18th Asian Games to rock the traditional powers from the Indian sub-continent.

The NOC published the following list: 

Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Fencing, Volleyball, Shooting, Canoeing, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Taekwondo, Karate, Kurash, Wushu, Sport Climbing, Kabaddi, Skating, Archery, Football, Handball, Aquatics (Swimming/Diving/Water Polo), Gymnastics, Cycling, Chess, Esports, Sepak Takraw and Table Tennis.