Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
📖

Hadi Saei

sports Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Hadi Saei is a highly decorated Iranian athlete and leader. He is best known for his mastery of taekwondo, a martial art. Saei became the most successful athlete in Olympic history for Iran. His career is marked by nine major world-class titles. These honors include two Olympic gold medals and two World Championship titles. He also earned four World Cup titles and one Olympic qualification tournament victory.

Olympic rings
Olympic rings

Saei began his journey in taekwondo at the age of six. He primarily competed in the lightweight weight class. This category includes athletes weighing between 67 and 72 kg. Throughout his career, he achieved many different types of success. He won silver medals at the 1995 and 2003 World Championships. He also secured a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. His skill allowed him to reach the highest levels of international competition.

One of Saei's most famous moments occurred during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In his very first match, he faced Deepak Bista from Nepal. During this match, Saei fractured his right hand. He did not tell anyone about this injury during the entire competition. He continued to fight through enormous pain to reach the final match. In that final, he defeated Mauro Sarmiento to win the gold medal.

Olympic rings
Olympic rings

Immediately after his victory, his hand was placed in a plaster cast.

Saei's achievements had a significant impact on Iranian sports history. By winning gold in Beijing, he helped Iran achieve a better result than the 1948 London Olympics. In that 1948 competition, the country received only one bronze medal. Saei is now one of only three Olympians with the most medals in taekwondo. His specific titles include victories in the 1999 and 2005 World Taekwondo Championships. He also won gold at the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

Beyond his athletic skill, Saei is known for his generosity. In 2003, a devastating earthquake struck the Iranian town of Bam. To help the people affected by this disaster, Saei took action. He put his many medals up for auction. He used the money raised from the auction to help the victims. This act showed his commitment to his community during a time of great loss.

Saei has also moved into roles of political and athletic leadership. He was elected as a member of the City Council of Tehran in 2006. He won reelection to this position in 2013, though he lost in 2017. He also served as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Taekwondo Federation. He held this leadership role from January 2022 until January 2026. He is currently a senior at the Iran Physical Education University.

His personal life has included significant challenges and tragedies. Saei lost both his father and his brother in the same year. The following year, his younger brother passed away from cancer. Despite these hardships, he continued his work in sports and public service. He even appeared in the 2015 TV series titled Amin, directed by Manuchehr Hadi.

Olympic rings
Olympic rings

Saei's life connects the worlds of elite sport, government, and community service. He represents the East Azerbaijan Province and the city of Bostanabad. His journey from a six-year-old student to a world champion is a major part of taekwondo history. He remains a symbol of perseverance and dedication in the martial arts community.

Olympic rings
Olympic rings
551 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (1)
File:Olympic rings.svg
Olympic rings.svg
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.