Iran to Officially Protest over Indonesia’s Unfair Medals in Asian Games, Says NOC Head

Tehran, MINA — The head of Iran’s National Olympic Committee (NOC), Reza Salehi Amiri said that Indonesia’s medals in the unknown and indigenous sport of pencak silat is a gift from Olympics Council of Asia (OCA) and Iran will officially protest against these medals in OCA, MNA reported.

The act of OCA to recognize pencak silat and its medals in the final medal count of Asian Games is unjustifiable, irrational and totally unfair, he added.

Iran has already verbally protested to the OCA President Sheikh Ahmed al-Fahad al-Ahmed al-Sabah, Salehi said, adding that the president answered that ‘this kind of privilege would also be granted to Iran if games are held in the country’. This answer is not convincing, Salehi highlighted.

These medals led to a significant increase in Indonesia’s ranking from 17 in 2014 Incheon to 4 in 2018 Jakarta and OCA should be deemed responsible for this, he added.

For each discipline, hundreds of athletes compete to reach Asian Games, and dozens try to win medals during the Asiad, and the fact that the host country can easily win numerous medals is very regrettable, the Iranian official noted.

The 18th edition of Asian Games is underway in Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang. Iran’s 4th place in medals table was taken by Indonesia after winning 10 gold medals in the indigenous sport of pencak silat. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)