TEHRAN Fencing teams from over 20 countries have come to Iran to start an international torunament to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the late Imam Khomeini. The fencers attended the mausoleum of the late Imam Khomeini and paid tribute to the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to the Fencing Federation of Iran, the national anthem of the Islamic Republic was played and presidents of the Spanish, Portuguese and Georgian fencing federations laid wreaths to the tomb of the late Imam on behalf of all foreign sportsmen.

An American sportsman said in a brief interview, "He follows up the Iranian news through television and it was interesting to him that the Iranian nation firmly supported the late Imam Khomeini and that he is now proud to be present at the late Imam's mausoleum." Head of Fencing Federation of Iran, Mahdi Mohammadzadeh, told the sports delegations that the fencing competitions in Iran are arranged to commemorate the late Imam Khomeini and hoped that the sports competitions would serve to develop friendship, unity and exchange of technical methods.

(IRNA)