Iranian refugee hopes to fulfill Olympic dream

Saeid Fazloula hiked through mountains for days, took a boat that almost sank, and now lives in Germany

Iranian Refugee, Saeid Fazloula

Growing up by the Caspian Sea, Fazloula was a celebrated canoeist before he fled. “I had everything I wanted in Iran – money, a car, and an apartment,” he says.

Fazloula won silver for his home country’s national team in the 2014 Asian Games. A year later, he fell foul of the regime’s regulations when he took a selfie in front of Milan’s famous cathedral after competing at the world championships. That picture led the regime to accuse him of having converted to Christianity; upon arrival in Tehran, he was detained for two days and threatened with the death penalty.

Fazloula left Iran first by foot across the border to Turkey, then to the Greek island of Lesbos, and on to Serbia along the Balkan route all the way to Karlsruhe, Germany. After learning German quickly and adjusting to the new training techniques, Fazloula’s work ethic and tenacity soon surprised the whole team, says Detlef Hofmann, Fazloula’s mentor, and coach.

He arrived as an accomplished paddler: A three-time Asian runner-up while competing under the Iranian flag, but has had to fight hard on his journey to being selected as part of the second IOC Refugee Olympic Team, for the Tokyo 2020 Games in 2021.

With a history of achievement under the Iran flag, his official status was complicated, and Fazloula has had to campaign for years to gain the right to represent refugees at the Tokyo Olympics.

The International Canoe Federation even had to change its regulations. Before his situation, no rules existed on how athletes who had to leave their country for political or religious reasons could participate in events.

Their case included testimony that the Iranian-born athlete is a role model for successful community integration,’ as reported on the International Canoe Federation’s official website.

After failing to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics with the Iranian national team, Fazloula made it on to the candidate list for the newly-formed Rio refugee team four years later – only to miss out on the actual team shortly before the Games.

Unable to compete in the Tokyo Olympics for Germany after his application for naturalization was rejected, Fazloula was hopeful he would succeed at his third attempt. “Perhaps this is my last chance,” “It would be a happy end after fighting for it for six years,” he said.

When word came through that Saeid had been granted one of the IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarships on Refugee Day in June 2019 there was delight and relief all around, not least with the athlete himself.” I feel relieved. It’s been a long, hard road. So many people fought with and for me. I would like to thank you all today,” he said.

“If there is one thing I always tell myself, it’s this. I just have to believe that I will manage, no matter what it is.” When asked what motivates him given all the setbacks, he points to a motto based on a quote by Muhammad Ali: ‘Think it, believe it, become it’.

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