Iranian president urges sport for all

TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (MNA) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the officials and the nation to expand the sport for all movement.


He made the remarks on Tuesday morning at a ceremony held in Park Pardisan in Tehran to mark the National Clean Air Day.


Officials should seek to increase the public interest in physical exercise in the hope of having a fit and healthy society, Ahmadinejad said.


A number of ministers, athletes, and the director of the Physical Education Organization attended the event.


In symbolic acts, the president first rode a bicycle for a short distance and then joined a group of hiking athletes affiliated with the Federation of Sport for All.


Iran’s National Clean Air Day is celebrated every 19th of January.


Air pollution in major cities, especially Tehran, is a common phenomenon.


Most days, Tehran is clouded by a thick layer of smog making breathing hard especially for the elderly and children.


Government’s measures taken so far to improve the situation has failed and this complex environmental issue has remained unresolved.