The Leader made the remarks on November 22, 2023, in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah during a meeting with Iran’s sports champions and medal winners of the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games.
Imam Khamenei while summing up the latest developments in Gaza stated that Hamas, a Palestinian group of resistance fighters and not a government or a country that is well-equipped, managed to knock out the usurping Zionist regime which is well-equipped with resources.
Pointing to the inability of the Zionists to pull itself out of the pressure and disgrace of this shameful defeat Imam Khamenei added that, "They flex their muscles in a show of retaliation by bombing hospitals and schools in Gaza. This is similar to an athlete who loses a competition and retaliates by physically attacking and swearing at the fans of the opposing team."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that the heavy defeat that the Zionist regime suffered will not be compensated by these crimes. "They should know that this oppression and these atrocities will not go unanswered and the bombings will shorten the life of the usurping regime."
During the meeting, Imam Khamenei lauded the Iranian athletes who refrained from competing with the Zionist regime’s representatives. "Today, the entire world has understood the reason why our athletes have done this. It is because those people [athletes representing the Zionist regime] are competing on behalf of a criminal, terrorist regime."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution criticized the officials of international sports centers that are controlled by the Arrogant Powers. "Those who, in a political measure under the pretext of war, ban a country from participating in all sporting fields, are now choosing to ignore around 5,000 Palestinian children who have been martyred in Gaza. They refrain from banning and condemning the Zionist regime for genocide and war crimes under the pretext of avoiding political interference in sports. We hope that one day these discriminatory acts will be attended to in a just manner."
Imam Khamenei extended his gratitude to Iran’s national football team, who, showed their support for the Palestinian cause by wearing keffiyehs when they came onto the field during the 2023 Jordan football tournament.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the athletes who donated their medals to the children of Gaza and the martyrs who were killed in a hospital by the atrocious acts of the Zionists. I would also like to thank the athletes who refused to compete with the athletes of the Zionist regime.”
Elsewhere in his speech, the Leader of the Revolution hailed the Iranian medalists for determination and hard work.
“I would like to sincerely thank the respected lady, who bore the flag of Iran’s sports caravan in the Asian Games, while wearing a full hijab. I would also like to thank the sportswoman who refused to shake hands with a non-mahram man during the awarding of her medal, as well as the lady who went to the podium with her child and highlighted the respect that families and mothers should be given around the world via the demonstration of this symbolic move.”
Imam Khamenei also thanked a number of teenagers and youth in the meeting for their remarkable display of Iran’s bastani sport, adding that it has the potential to become an international sport and that efforts should be made for this to occur.
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