For all of the Iranian canoe polo women’s team, the last 11 months have been a whirlwind.
In just their third entry into the sport’s World Championships at Deqing last year, the girls in green ended in fourth – narrowly off a podium – their highest ever finish following sixth in 2010 and 14th in 2016.
A historic and unexpected result qualified them for The World Games 2025, a return to China - albeit in Chengdu this time – but they were not able to follow up their dizzy heights of Deqing in 2024, getting eliminated in the quarterfinals by World runners up Italy 5-2.
It’s still a very respectable result considering it was their maiden voyage into The World Games and even more so for Mahdieh Shabani.
Her appearances at the World Championships and TWG 2025 mark a meteoric rise in the 35 by 23 metre pool after only picking up the sport three years ago. Only last year did she join the national Iranian setup.
“When I joined canoe polo, I felt I was changing my life, becoming stronger, and showing our country—especially its girls—that they can achieve anything,” said Iran’s number five. “We have limitations, but we're determined to break them and pursue our goals. Joining the national team after two years of canoe polo was one of my most powerful achievements.”
Shabani discovered canoe polo whilst at Shahed University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports science and then followed up that with a master’s in exercise physiology at the University of Tehran.
Her heart therefore was always in sport and in canoe polo she has found the right one.
A sport where she can compete at an elite level and also make a difference, hence why she has purely homed in on it for the past 18 months.
Equipped with two degrees but Shabani is prioritising her newfound athletic career rather than plying trade in a profession and it’s paying off through adventures like Chengdu.
“When we got to The World Games, I can't describe it. It felt like we were floating in the air,” she said. “Last year, we promised each other to play well and give 100 per cent effort. Advancing from the 12 best in the world to the top eight, then to the top four, was unexpected.”
“We simply focused on playing well, and when we achieved it, it was beyond what we imagined, especially given the ups and downs and difficult situations.”
“We didn’t expect to reach this point. In teams, some might want to exclude others, but we didn’t act that way. We supported and trusted one another, believing this might be our last opportunity to get here and because of that, our team gathered strongly.”
As explained eloquently by the wing, Iran’s women are fling high.
Increased publicity back home in local media such as the Tehran Times shows that what they and their coach Nima Hojati are doing to turn these historic moments into long lasting legacy.
To make the most of the trajectory, Shabani and others from the team are determined to discuss the next steps of canoe polo’s development in Iran, particularly in the women’s game with or without them.
A revamped focus on increased competitions is an element the 27 year old feels the need for as her team were unable to compete at any international competitions in-between World Championships and The World Games.
“This isn't a sport where you can simply improve your speed by training alone; you need competition,” commented Shabani after their 17-2 drubbing over host nation China in the seventh-place play-off. “We didn't expect Denmark or Italy to be so strong. Maybe we were on the same level or a little higher, but they improved even more.”
“As I said to everyone, the first and main goal was to motivate all the girls. After that, we’ll be motivated—maybe not these exact members again, but we’re going to help others.”
“I think I should offer my federation the idea to have more leagues, competitions. We must think about the work and keep it in our minds.”
As one of the backs, Shabani’s role in the pool is not the flashiest, scoring goals isn’t part and parcel of the position.
It’s one that requires strength in the canoe, communication, organisation and she has bundles of it. Her decision to pursue a full-time career in a lesser-known sport - especially in Iran – displays that she means business for herself and aspiring Iranian women athletes.
“Our wallpapers were about medals; we changed them last night, hoping for gold, silver, or bronze after reaching fourth place,” she revealed on when Italy eliminated them in the quarterfinals at the Jianyang Cultural and Sports Centre Natatorium.
Amongst the joy and achievements celebrated recently, changing inspiring wallpapers would have been a painful pill for Shabani and Iran to swallow.
She is more than aware though what needs to be done for Iran to be serious contenders again at The World Games Karlsruhe 2029 and with a strong voice, don’t be surprised to see them perform admirably once again in the near future.