PLANTING SEEDS OF PEACE AND EXCHANGE: A LEGACY FROM ISF U15 GYMNASIADE 2025
Apr. 28, Tehran, Iran – At the ISF U15 Gymnasiade 2025, the International School Sport Federation (ISF) and the Local Organising Committee worked hand in hand to create a truly international platform for competition, education, and cultural exchange.
This platform not only offered 2714 school athletes the opportunity to connect with their peers from around the world, but also became a valuable space for sports and education professionals to share knowledge and strengthen cooperation.
For the Iranian delegation, 29 gold, 28 silver, and 29 bronze medals were not the only achievements of their journey.
On the event’s Culture Day, under the witness of ISF President Mr. Zeljko Tanaskovic, and ISF Executive Director Mrs. Hasnae El Ayoubi, the Iranian delegation, led by Acting President of Iran School Sport Federation Mr. Hamid Reza Saebi, and Seyedeh Khamsa Asbaghian, International Affairs Director of Iran School Sport Federation, came together to plant an olive tree in Zlatibor — a powerful symbol of peace and friendship.
"One of the most important messages of the Iran School Sport Federation is that student-athletes are also environment lovers. Today, we came here to plant this olive tree as a message of peace for all the students and athletes around the world. We are here to exchange our cultures.”
– Seyedeh Khamsa Asbaghian, International Affairs Director of Iran School Sport Federation
Accompanying the delegation was Mr. Alireza Kazemi, Minister of Education of Iran and Mr. Mohammad Jafari, Deputy Minister of Education. During the event, Mr. Kazemi, Mr. Jafari and Iranian delegation officials held a series of meetings with the ISF leadership, as well as representatives from the Brazilian School Sport Confederation (CBDE), the China Student Sports Federation (CSSF), and the Serbian Ministry of Sport and Ministry of Education.
These meetings offered a unique opportunity for Iranian and international school sport leaders to exchange experiences in student sports education, high-performance sport management, and to share insights on the shared vision of “Empowering Youth Through Sport & Education.”
"The objective of these official meetings was to share Iran's experience and present a model for the effective implementation of physical education in Iranian schools. With a significant enrollment of 16 million students, Iran has made substantial investments in school sports and possesses remarkable potential in this arena. We hope to share these capabilities and capacities with the ISF and other nations, fostering a bright future for school sports both in Iran and globally.”
– Mr. Mohammad Jafari, Deputy Minister of Education of Iran
As the ISF U15 Gymnasiade 2025 closed, the experiences lived in Zlatibor will remain lifelong memories for many young athletes. Meanwhile, the knowledge, concepts, ideas, and inspiration exchanged among sport leaders during the event will continue to nurture young talents and shape the future of education and sport in countries around the world.
