TEHRAN – Soraya Aghaei will be the first woman badminton player to represent Iran at the Olympic Games.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has informed the Iranian federation Finland’s Airi Mikkela has withdrawn from the 2020 Olympic Games.

According to the BWF ranking, Egyptian player Hadia Hosny had to replace the Finn in the women’s singles but she has opted to participate at the women’s doubles.

So, Iran’s Aghaei has been awarded a quota place to take part in the Games.

Aghaei is the first Iranian woman badminton player to compete in the Olympic Games.

Kaveh Mehrabi had already represented Iran in the men’s badminton competition in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Aghaei is the 10th Iranian woman in the 2020 Olympic Games.

Armina Sadeghian, Najmeh Khedmati, Fatemeh Karamzadeh and Hanieh Rostamian in shooting, Sara Bahmanyar and Hamideh Abbasali in karate, Nazanin Molaei in rowing, Nahid Kiani in taekwondo and Farzaneh Fasihi in athletic have previously secured their places at Tokyo 2020.