TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani says that the Iranian athletes can make their nation proud and happy at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In a meeting with Iranian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Masoud Soltanifar on Saturday, Rouhani said he expects the Iranian sportsmen and sportswomen to shine in the next year’s prestigious events.

“Improving access to sports for all and supporting women’s sports are top priorities for us and I want to strengthen the sports in two divisions,” Rouhani said.

“I wish the Iranian athletes to promote the name of their country and making their people proud and happy in Olympics and Paralympics,” he stated.

“Some sports including wrestling, weightlifting, taekwondo and karate have responsibility in these games and we expect them to shine in Tokyo,” Rouhani added.

Praising the Iranian football clubs in the AFC Champions League, Rouhani said, “The Iranian clubs have made half of the total population in the country happy so far. I also hope that Iran U23 football team to qualify for the Olympics after many years. The Iranian people should feel at ease with their national football team as well.”