Developing a Strategic Plan for Sport Diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The purpose of this study was to develop a strategic plan for sport diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The research method was descriptive-analytic and applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population of the study consisted of all political-sport managers and experts in the field of sports diplomacy who were selected through purposeful and accessible sampling. Data collection method included library studies, semi-structured interviews with experts and finally Delphi method in three stages. Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) and External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) were used to identify the strategic position. The results showed that the position of sport diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is in the WO position. In this regard, it is concluded that high level officials and policy makers in the Ministry of Sport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant institutions should focus their efforts on removing weaknesses and taking advantage of existing opportunities.