Special Report |
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| Handshake of Nations
Participation of Iran in eleven Olympic Games is a tale of
ordinary men who exerted extraordinary efforts for extraordinary achievements
The Olympic Games, the year 2000, gathering of two hundred
countries, and Iran’s ambassadors in another global forum. Once again five rings,
medals, national anthems, cheering, tears of victory and defeat, TV cameras, exciting
sports commentaries and thrilling words of anticipation filling the pages of newspapers.
The prospects were irresistible for a special issue. Iran International is an economic-cultural magazine and, as a matter of fact, the Olympic Games are today all about culture and economy. Countries and companies make a fortune out of the Games while neighbors of the global village engage in a rich cultural exchange. To celebrate Iran’s twelfth appearance in the Olympic Games we had more than enough subjects to cover. It was necessary for us to relay to our audience just how deeply the Iranian culture is associated with sports and how it values the spirits of sportsmanship and ethics beyond championship and titles. At the same time, we could not lose sight of a few essential topics: a brief introduction of our land and some of its most important indicators, a reflection of morals above medals and introduction of Iranian athletes competing in Sydney 2000. All these, together with a few weeks of hard work with veteran sports writers and photographers, resulted in Iran International Special Issue on Sydney 2000 Olympic Games published in early September. Throughout the preparation of that issue, we saw all signs of the Olympic Dream in real life: Extraordinary efforts and sacrifices for extraordinary achievements by ordinary people. The strongest of arms here is the weapon of ambition and determination. More than any other subject, the special issue reflected the past endeavors and achievements of Iranians in the fields that have won Iran the greatest number of medals. This special report, which is in fact a demo of our Sydney 2000 issue, pays tribute to all the great men and women who elevated the name of Iran in international scenes. Those who couldn’t make it for different reasons are equally appreciated. Also, a number of the athletes pictured in the following pages are not among us any longer. Some of those twisted muscles have long been buried. Their memory will continue to enrich our hearts; their achievements will continue to inspire our athletes’ and serve as a source of pride. Sydney 2000 is here today and Athens 2004 will be here tomorrow. The epic continues. |