Hadi Saei poses for a photo with Mahroz Sae Bonekhohal Photo credit: Art Garcia

Saturday, the National Team of Iran arrived in Tijuana declaring they were ready for the 2010 World Junior Taekwondo Championships as well as the Youth Olympic Qualifying Round. What makes their arrival noteworthy is that in their delegation is Hadi Saei, a two time Olympic Champion and bronze medal winner, and now coach of the Persian team.

The Organizing Committee’s CEO and General Director of the Baja California Sports and Physical Culture Institute, Saul Castro Verdugo welcomed them. “It is a great honor and a pleasure for us to receive such a great athlete and Olympic figure in our country and our city,” said Castro Verdugo. “Please feel comfortable, feel like your at home and we wish you the best in this competition, and hope you have a great and successful one.

Verdugo had an opportunity to meet Saei in Copenhagen during the Senior World Championship, at which time Saei was a judge. “In my experience as student in Germany,” said Verdugo, “I had the chance to know a lot of people from Iran; we shared a lot of things in common like the food and that special flavor that characterizes us as Mexicans and them as very nice people.”