Added: Mar 3, 2010

From: The22Bahman

Duration: 2:28

Sport News Iran March 2, 2010 Part 3 Backgammon Main article: Backgammon Backgammon is a game that has had a following in Persia since ancient times.[4] Like Chess and some card games, it fell out of official favor after the revolution. However, this did not diminish its popularity with the general population. In recent years, restrictions on the game have been softened, but tournaments have yet to be officially sanctioned. And that is why backgammon is considered a traditional sport. The oldest backgammon in the world along with 60 pieces has been unearthed in southeastern Iran.[5] --- : Chess The origin of chess is a disputed issue, but evidence exists to give credence to the theory that chess originated in Persia, and later found its way into the Indian subcontinent. For example, the earliest recorder history of chess is to be found in Persian writing, and the earliest chess pieces found also being from Persian. All of this evidence lends weight to the theory that chess in Persia (Shatranj) pre-dated chess in India (Chatrang). Chess later spread from Persia into other nations in the Islamic world. Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport in Iran. Iran has been able to reach the FIFA World Cup three times (1978, 1998 and 2006), has won AFC Asian Cup three times (1968 AFC Asian Cup, 1972 AFC Asian Cup and 1976 AFC Asian Cup) and four times has reached to gold medal at Asian Games (1974, 1990, 1998 and 2002). Particularly in the past 10 years, with the launch of Iran's Premier Football League, considerable progress has been made. some Iranian players now play in major European leagues, and some Iranian clubs have hired European players or coaches. Iranian clubs (Esteghlal and Pas) three times win Asian Club Championship (1970, 1991, 1993), but last championship of an Iranian team at AFC Champions League dated back to 1992-3 season. Like all other sports, adequate football facilities are limited in Iran. Iran's largest football stadium is the Azadi Stadium with a seating capacity of 90,000. Home Stadium of Esteghlal and Perspolis (Most Popular Iranian Clubs) and where that national matches are held. --- Weightlifting Strength sports like Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding have always held favor among Iranians and with the recent success of world record-holding super-heavyweight lifter Hossein Reza Zadeh, or with IFBB pro King Kamali, the sport has been returned to a rather high status. [edit] Skiing Iran is home to numerous mountainous regions, many of which are suitable for skiing, and are gaining increasing popularity among foreign visitors.[6] Skiing began in Iran in 1938 through the efforts of two German railway engineers. Today, 13 ski resorts operate in Iran,[7] the most famous being Tochal, Dizin, and Shemshak. All are within one to three hours traveling time of Tehran. Potentially suitable terrain can also be found in Lorestan, Mazandaran, and other provinces. The Tochal resort is the world's fifth-highest ski resort at over 3,730 m at its highest 7th station. The resort was completed in 1976 shortly before the overthrow of the Shah. It is only a mere 15 minutes away from Tehran's northern districts, and operates 7 months a year. Here, one must first ride the 8 km (5 mile) long gondola lift which covers a huge vertical. The 7th station has three slopes. The resort's longest slope is the south side U shaped slope which goes from the 7th station to 5th station. The other two slopes are located on the north side of the 7th station. Here, there are two parallel chair ski lifts that go up to 3900 m near Tochal's peak (at 4,000 m), rising higher than the gondola 7th station station. This altitude is said to be higher than any of the European resorts. From the Tochal peak, one has a spectacular view of the Alborz range, including the 5,671 metre (18,606 ft) high Mount Damavand, a dormant volcano. At the bottom of the lifts in a valley behind the Tochal peak is Tochal hotel, located at 3500 m altitude. From there a T lift takes skiers up the 3,800 metres of Shahneshin peak, where the third slope of Tochal is.

Channel: Sports

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