Research on Educational Sport

Formulating strategies for the development of traditional, ritual and indigenous sports in Iran with a regional competitiveness approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

hasan ahmadian dehmiani 1
Shahriar Kharazian 1
Mahdi Esfehani 2

1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Sports Management, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad

https://doi.org/10.22089/res.2026.17958.2640
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to formulate strategies for the development of traditional, ritual and local indigenous sports in Iran with a regional competitiveness approach. The present study is applied and descriptive-analytical in terms of research method. In the qualitative part of the study, the objectives, resources, capabilities and environmental factors affecting the development of traditional, ritual and local indigenous sports in Iran were identified through library studies and in-depth interviews with 10 experts in the scientific field to formulate a Meta-SWOT questionnaire.The findings showed that the status of traditional, ritual and local indigenous sports in Iran is in an unfavorable situation compared to the developed country of China, but is in a favorable situation compared to neighboring and developing countries and is almost on par with India. It was found that we do not have inimitable and irreplaceable resources and capabilities in the country because all resources and capabilities are on the left side of the strategic model and only two factors of the capabilities are valuable and inimitable to some extent; But because the bubble of most resources and capabilities was large, it indicates a high strategic fit; on the other hand, among the individual factors, the legal environment and governance of the country, in addition to being very influential in the development of indigenous sports, has a high degree of urgency, and external pressures and sanctions also act as a strong limiting factor in the development of traditional and indigenous local sports in Iran.

Keywords

"Local indigenous sports"
"Development
" "Meta SWOT"
"Competitiveness"
Subjects

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  • Receive Date 28 September 2025
  • Revise Date 08 December 2025
  • Accept Date 19 February 2026

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