This meeting and presence among athletes and champions, who are the symbol of strength, liveliness and perseverance of our young generation, is a very pleasant and special occasion for me.
I like athletes who are active in all fields of sports, but I have a special liking for the sports champions. One reason for this special liking is that their victory reflects honor on our nation. But there are also other reasons involved.
The fact is that physical strength by itself is not enough for an athlete to achieve success and win the title in a sporting competition, but that there are also other factors that play a significant role in this victory. Among these factors is a strong will and determination.
Doing physical exercise and persevering with it in itself needs determination. Besides, if an athlete aims to become a champion, his will and determination should be much stronger than that of his rivals. Therefore, the role of will and resolve in becoming a champion should not be disregarded, and a champion is respected and held in high esteem because of his superior determination.
In general, having a strong will is a great privilege, because it is what makes nations achieve progress and development, and it is what paves the way for the advance of science and technology.
Another prominent feature of a champion is his intelligence and quickness of response. Surely, without this feature no athlete would be able to win the title.
Fortunately, the Iranian athletes and champions are also characterized by one more major characteristic, namely spirituality and reliance on Almighty Allah. This outstanding feature is unique to our athletes, and it is the characteristic that makes them distinguished in the world.
Indeed, adherence to spiritual values and religious beliefs infuses a person with vitality and lofty aspirations and helps him to attain proximity to the Almighty in all areas of life, including in the field of sports.
My dear ones! Try to keep these spiritual values alive. You just heard this lady, who said that the proper Islamic covering and dignity of the female Iranian athletes has also encouraged female athletes from other Islamic countries to observe Islamic dress code in sporting competitions.
As regards the participation of Iranian women in different sports activities, I believe more sports facilities should be provided for women, and the relevant officials should make more efforts to pave the way for the participation of women in different fields of sports.
Taking physical exercise and engagement in sports activities are conducive to physical health, and they also make a person feel lively and cheerful. Therefore, they should be promoted among the public, including both men and women.
Besides popularizing sports activities, the government should also allocate the necessary budget for this purpose and remove the related obstacles.
Finally, it should be noted that the champions shoulder a heavy responsibility, since they are role models for our youngsters. Thus, they should act and behave in such a manner that the youngsters who imitate them would be led on the right path.
Indeed, some qualities and characteristics of our champions are really of great value. For instance, when our champions reject the invitation of foreign countries, which are willing to pay them considerable amounts of money, and refuse to turn their back on their own country, I believe this is worthy of great praise and admiration.
Thank God our champions not only adhere to spiritual values and religious beliefs, not only have remarkable physical strength and intelligence as well as a strong will and determination, but they also have a praiseworthy sense of patriotism. It is these qualities that make us express a deep and special liking for our champions.
Well, we had a very pleasant meeting. It also gave me great pleasure to meet many of you here at this gathering.
I pray to Almighty Allah to bestow on you His grace and guidance as well as further achievements and success.
I also pray that the Commander of the Faithful (greetings be upon him) and other immaculate Imams will assist you in all areas of life, including in the field of sports.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings