For most athletes, participating in the Olympics is a dream.
Karate-Star Hamoon Derafshipour is no exception, but he had a special request that required a dramatic change.
Is told TheRecord.com (subscription required): “I wanted my wife to be my coach, which was not possible at home due to the existing rules.”
Derafshipour won bronze in the Kumite at the 2018 World Championships in Madrid while representing his native Iran.
A year later he flew to Canada so his wife could train him ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Thanks to this bronze medal and his position in the world rankings, he qualified for the Olympic Games and will travel there as part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
While his expenses for the games are covered, the 28-year-old’s training costs are not. He is currently collecting moneyto attend a six week training camp in Istanbul to maximize his chances of getting gold in Tokyo.
“Your coach has to support you mentally and she knows me better than anyone.” – Hamoon Derafshipour in conversation with TheRecord.com
The realization of a dream
Derafshipour was born and raised in Kermanshah, near the border with Iraq.
At international competitions he met the bronze medalist of the 2010 Asian Games, Malekipour, who coached the Iranian women’s national team after a knee injury ended her competitive career prematurely.
The two fell in love and opened one at the end of 2017 Karate academy in their hometown.
He was also successful in competition: at the Paris Open in January 2018, he finished third before winning the national trials for the world championships.
At the World Championships in Madrid Derafshipour reached the semi-finals up to 67kg, where he later became a gold medalist Steven Da Costa defeated from France 2-0.
Then he beat the big favorite Raul Cuerva 6: 3 and won the bronze medal.
However, his coaching situation remained unsatisfactory.
In October 2019 Derafshipour made the momentous decision to leave Iran and the 400 students of its academy and go to the Region Waterloo in Ontario to pull where he has cousins.
“When we got to Canada, everyone told me that there was no way I could get to the Olympics. It wasn’t much time. I was a little sad. But I told myself that anything was possible. Me I’ve learned to always take on challenges in my life, “he said in conversation with TheRecord.com.
The two were welcomed by their local community and Derafshipour found work as instructors and coaches Driftwood Martial Arts in the nearby town of Kitchener.
He and Malekipour also train at Kazoku Martial Arts at Cambridge and both institutions are keen to see him succeed at the Games.
In April Derafshipour received a call from the International Olympic Committee confirming that he had actually qualified for Tokyo.
For Malekipour, that was the news they had been waiting for.
She said, “We had a long-term plan for the Olympics. I’m so happy. I will be in the Olympics with my husband.”
Derafshipour is one of the tallest men in his weight class and, in connection with his speed, a formidable opponent.
Malekipour added: “He is very fast, has good technique and is clever at competition. He works hard and is always focused on training.”
During the kareteka hopes to represent Canada in the future, having obtained citizenship, he is proud to compete in the Games under the flag of the IOC.
But competition is not enough.
In May Derafshipour said to CBC: “Of course I’m happy. But I’m happiest because my wife will train me at the Olympics.”
“This dream is for both of us. We don’t have time to be happy. We want to get results. After that, we want to be able to say, ‘Oh, we’re happy now.'” – Hamoon Derafshipour in conversation with CBC
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