I have already talked about sports and I don't know if our youth and athletes have heard my speech, or if they remember. I believe that doing sports is not, in fact, a profession. Doing sports and exercising constitute an aspect of life, just like eating does. Anyone who eats, should also do some exercise. God, the Exalted, has created mankind in a manner, that if you do not exercise, it would affect your body just as it would if you don’t eat or don’t sleep. That is, you would act against your body's requirements. If God the Almighty wanted our bodies to remain indolent, He wouldn't build our bodies with muscles and joints. The joints are there to allow movement. The person who does not walk, does not move, does not use their bodies in difficult times is actually leaving their bodies unused. Thus, doing sports represents an aspect of life. This is my general view of sports.
I mean, I mainly believe that all the people should do some sports: children and adults, men and women, the youth and elderly alike. Our magnanimous Imam Khomeini died at the age of 90. He suffered from heart problems. Yet, he used to exercise until he was hospitalized. He used to walk, as an exercise, which suited his old age. The person who knows his body well and knows the nature of body and sports, and is determined; is like his Excellency: who, exercised every day three times a day, for an hour and a half: three half hours. The final months of his life, maybe the last year, three half hours had gradually changed to three quarters or three ten minutes. His body would not allow for more; yet, he did exercise. So the general viewpoint is that we should all exercise, no one can go without some form of sports. It is like you let your body go without food, without vitamins, or without sleep. Doing sports is equally important.
July 20, 1993
Statements during a meeting with handicapped athletes
