Underlining paying attention to public sports along with championship sports, Dr Rouhani said: "Public sports is the base, but on the other side, championship sports can encourage our young population to follow public sports".
"Championship and professional sports and games bring national honour to the country and introduce our national identity and culture to the world," added the President at an Iftar ceremony with athletes late on Sunday.
"We are happy to be living in a country the youths of which bring honour in science and knowledge, just as great diplomacy heroes who possess scientific, technical and legal power and can leave a grave global issue victoriously," added Dr Rouhani, referring to the nuclear negotiation team.
He continued: "Our country's heroes broke the chains of sanctions and cleared the path for the society to be more active".
Wishing victory for the athletes in Olympics and Paralympics, he said: "While some countries have no historical honour and pride and create imaginary heroes, the Iranian nation's history is replete with historical honours and pride".
He also mentioned two significant eras in Iranian history, namely the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defence and said: "The Iranian nation will never forget great figures such as the Babaeis, Sattaris, Hemmats, Bakeris and Baqeris and will always be proud of its great historic heroes".
Thanking women athletes for attending global sport events, observing Islamic values, he added: "Observing these Islamic values by our women athletes is both an honour for us in the Islamic community and a great honour for resistance based on our culture and identity".
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