Sports

Main article: Sports in Iran

With two thirds of Iran's population under the age of 25, sports constitutes a highly active portion of Iran's society, both traditional and modern. Iran hence was the birthplace of sports such as polo,^[104] backgammon,^[105] Varzesh-e Pahlavani, and even indigenous modern martial arts styles such as Shinzen Karate ^[106] and Kan-zen-ryu.^[107] Tehran was furthermore the first city in the Middle East to host the Asian Games in 1974.

Dizin ski resort.

Today, the most popular sport in Iran is football (soccer), with national team being a World Cup finalist three times, and having won the Asian Cup on three occasions. However, freestyle Wrestling is traditionally referred to as Iran's national sport.

Iran is home to several unique skiing resorts,^[108] with the Tochal resort being the world's fifth-highest ski resort (3,730 m at its highest station) situated only fifteen minutes away from Tehran. Being a mountainous country, Iran offers enthusiasts abundant challenges for hiking, rock climbing,^[109] and mountain climbing.^{[110][111][112]}

Women are primarily active in volleyball and badminton, but even in rallying, female drivers participate in national rally tournaments, such as Iran's successful female driver Laleh Seddigh.