{"id":14650,"date":"2026-03-08T05:00:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T22:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/?p=14650"},"modified":"2026-03-10T11:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T04:28:08","slug":"iwd-26-celebrating-aghaei-paving-the-way-for-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/whats-new\/iwd-26-celebrating-aghaei-paving-the-way-for-women","title":{"rendered":"IWD 26: Celebrating Aghaei Paving the Way for Women"},"content":{"rendered":"

In December 2025, the IOC President Kirsty Coventry appointed five new members to the IOC Athletes\u2019 Commission<\/a><\/strong><\/em> ahead of the in Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games 2026. Among them was Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha, an Iranian shuttler.<\/p>\n

Aghaei was the first woman to represent Iran in badminton at an Olympic Games. It is the kind of feat that carries the weight of every girl who was told the dream was too big, the sport too niche, the path too uncertain.<\/p>\n

On International Women\u2019s Day<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>celebrated annually on 8 March, Badminton World Federation (BWF) celebrates her story through the lens of this year\u2019s theme: #GiveToGain.[vc_single_image image=”14655″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Giving Before Gaining<\/h2>\n

Ask Aghaei what drew her towards a leadership role and she does not talk about ambition in the conventional sense. \u201cWhat inspired me most was the understanding that representation truly matters,\u201d she said. \u201cLeadership, for me, is not about position. It is about responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout her playing career, she became aware of what it means for a young girl to see someone who looks like her standing in a place once considered out of reach. That awareness shaped everything for the Iranian. Where some athletes finish competing and step back from the sport, Aghaei chose to step further in. To give more of herself, so that others might gain something they had not previously thought possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we widen those doors,\u201d she says simply, \u201cothers will walk through them.\u201d<\/p>\n

One Person Challenging an Assumption<\/h2>\n

Badminton was not, in Aghaei\u2019s own words, traditionally among the most visible sports in Iran. She did not come up through a well-funded pathway with a well-worn route to the top. She grew within a sport that developed step by step and she grew with it. The resilience that it required is one of the things she brings to her work as an advocate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started dreaming of the Olympics, many people thought it was unrealistic. But progress often starts with one person challenging an assumption.\u201d Her message to young women in Iran and beyond is direct: their background does not limit their potential. \u201cThey belong in sport,\u201d she said, \u201cand they belong in leadership.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”14654″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Structure, Not Symbolism<\/h2>\n

Within the IOC Athletes\u2019 Commission, Aghaei plans to focus on issues she believes require structural solutions rather than gestures. Mental health support for women athletes, safeguarding, fair access to resources and meaningful long-term development beyond sport are among her priorities. \u201cTrue equity is not symbolic,\u201d she says. \u201cIt requires structural commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also knows that the Commission\u2019s reach goes beyond badminton. Representing athletes from the Middle East and from Muslim-majority countries, she brings contexts and perspectives to the table that might otherwise be absent. \u201cWhen those differences are genuinely represented in leadership and decision making, conversations become more complete and grounded in real experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

That, too, is a form of giving.<\/p>\n

A Legacy Built on What Comes Next<\/h2>\n

To the young women watching from Tehran or Tokyo or anywhere in between, Aghaei keeps it simple: \u201cStay curious and stay courageous. Compete with passion but also educate yourself. Understand governance, ask questions and do not wait for permission to contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about the legacy she hopes to leave, she does not reach for big, dramatic words. \u201cIf, years from now, more young women from diverse backgrounds feel confident stepping into leadership roles because they saw someone do it before them,\u201d she says, \u201cthat would mean I contributed in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n

On International Women\u2019s Day 2026, that feels like more than enough. Honestly, it\u2019s exactly what #GiveToGain is all about.<\/p>\n

*****<\/em><\/p>\n

Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha wishes to extend her sincere appreciation to the Badminton World Federation, Badminton Asia and the Iran Badminton Federation for their continued support throughout her career. Their encouragement and trust over the years have played an essential role in making these milestones possible. <\/em>[\/vc_column_text]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In December 2025, the IOC President Kirsty Coventry appointed five new members to the IOC Athletes\u2019 Commission ahead of the in Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games 2026. Among them was Soraya Aghaei Haji Agha, an Iranian shuttler.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2630,"featured_media":14656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[294],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-whats-new","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2630"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14650"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14724,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14650\/revisions\/14724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/development.bwfbadminton.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}