TEHRAN - Iran's boxing team will not have a representative at the Paris Olympics for the first time in eight consecutive appearances after all seven boxers were eliminated from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Thailand.

This disappointing result comes just 18 months into the reign of Ruhollah Hosseini as president of the Iran Boxing Federation.

The elimination of the Iranian boxers follows their poor performance at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. In the aftermath of this latest setback, Hosseini has apologized for the team's failure and attributed it to a lack of youth development in Iranian boxing and ongoing refereeing issues.

This explanation is met with skepticism by some, as Iran managed to secure its first-ever boxing World Championship medal and two Olympic quota places for Tokyo 2020 just 13 months before Hosseini took over the federation.

The Olympic qualifying tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, saw over 600 boxers from around the world compete for a limited number of spots at the 2024 Paris Games. Iran, led by Cuban coach Juan Bautista Fontanills, was represented by Mehdi Parvizi, Daniel Shahbakhsh, Ali Habibinezhad, Kasra Tahmasbi, Meysam Ghashlaghi, Ali Fathi, and Rouzbeh Safdari.

Despite the team's best efforts, they ultimately fell short of qualifying for the Olympics. Hosseini has faced criticism for his management of the team during his short tenure, but some experts believe he made the right decision in hiring a renowned coach like Fontanills.

Akbar Ahadi, a former national team coach, sees the team's failure as a setback and urges the federation to take immediate action to prepare for the future competitions.

“We have always been present at the Olympics for more than 40 years, and now this absence is a failure,” Ahadi said. “This result is not related to Hosseini's 5-6 months of presidency but goes back to the previous years when there was no proper support system. The president has done his best during this time and organized some good international competitions for the national team. He also brought one of the best coaches in the world to Iran. Fontanills has only been with the national team for 3-4 months, and no coach in the world can do miracles in such a short time.”

Ahadi also addressed the decision to replace experienced boxers with younger athletes close to the Olympics, stating that while giving opportunities to rising talents is important, it should not come at the expense of experienced athletes who have proven their worth.

The Iranian boxing team's failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics serves as a wake-up call for the federation. Addressing the underlying issues in the sport, implementing a sustainable youth development program, and providing adequate support to the national team will be crucial for Iran's success in future international competitions.