[56106] Hadi Saei re-elected as President of the Iranian Taekwondo Federation amidst claims of lack of transparency
[56106] Hadi Saei re-elected as President of the Iranian Taekwondo Federation amidst claims of lack of transparency
Hadi Saei has been elected for a second consecutive term as head of the Taekwondo Federation in Iran, following an election process that included the withdrawal of candidates and criticism from some participants regarding the fairness of the process.
Hadi Saei re-elected as President of the Taekwondo Federation
On Monday, May 11, 2026, elections were held for the head of the Iranian Taekwondo Federation, at the end of which Hadi Saei was elected for a second four-year term. According to reports by Iran International, Saei, who is considered close to the Ministry of Sports, received 39 out of 53 votes.
The election process was accompanied by dramatic withdrawals: out of ten candidates approved by the Ministry of Sports, four – Yousef Karami, Ali Nouri, Hossein Hosseinzadeh, and Fariborz Askari – chose to withdraw even before the voting began (according to 'Akharin Khabar'). Another candidate, Cyrus Rezaei, harshly criticized the process and called its structure "premeditated, unfair, and non-transparent," but stated he would continue to participate out of respect for those present.
Media outlets identified with the establishment, such as the IRNA news agency, presented the choice as a natural continuity under the headline "Saei continues to lead the Taekwondo Federation." Conversely, Iran International, which presents a critical line towards the Iranian regime, noted that during Saei's first term, "a security atmosphere prevailed in the national teams."
During the election day, it was also reported that the sister of the elected president, Mahrooz Saei, was appointed as one of the observers of the election process, a matter that drew some attention among local media coverage (according to 'Akharin Khabar').