Editing Iran Paintball Association

The '''Iran Paintball Association''' (Persian: انجمن پینت بال جمهوری اسلامی ایران), also rendered as the '''Paintball Association of the Islamic Republic of Iran''', is a national organisation responsible for developing and administering [[paintball]] within the Iran Sport for All Federation.[1][2]

Its documented activities include national competition, regulations, women's paintball, coaching and refereeing education, club affairs and national-team selection.[3][4][5]

== History ==

=== Establishment ===

The association's published history attributes the introduction of paintball to Hamid Nikpour in the Iranian year 1378 (1999–2000) and its formal establishment under the Iran Sport for All Federation to 1380 (2001–2002).[1]

Contemporary reporting independently documents Nikpour operating the Matrix paintball complex in Tehran in November 2002. That report concerns the introduction and commercial operation of the sport rather than the association's formal establishment.[6]

=== National competition ===

The association published schedules, entry conditions and results for the [[Iran National Paintball League]] (INPL).

Its report on the opening round of 1390 described eight premier teams and twelve lower-division teams competing in Gilan Province. Datam defeated Datis Tehran in the premier final on 9 September 2011.[7]

In December 2011, the association reported a combined event in Babolsar containing the second men's round and first women's round. Its results distinguished the men's divisions from the women's competition.[8]

On 25 August 2012, the association announced that it could not stage the league under its existing financial arrangements. The notice cited losses, operating costs and exchange-rate increases, and published projected income and expenditure.[9]

A September 2013 announcement proposed restarting INPL using an iBall format and weekly matches. It identified Hamid Nikpour as association president, Reza Shahran as refereeing committee head, Reza Badrian as technical committee head and Seyed Reza Mousavi as responsible for administrative affairs.[10]

=== Women's paintball ===

The association published women's league entry conditions in November 2011, requiring registration, identification cards and compliance with INPL Division 2 rules.[3]

Its first recorded women's league round took place in Babolsar from 14 to 16 December 2011. Datis finished first, Javidan second and Roham Babolsar third.[8]

A subsequent announcement appointed Leila Niyam to lead the national women's paintball committee and credited her involvement in launching the women's league.[11]

In 2014, the association announced a women's three-player programme under INPL rules. Its opening event took place in Karaj on 18 April, with six teams participating.[12][13]

== Organisation ==

The association operates within the Iran Sport for All Federation. The federation has published an appointment announcement naming Reza Azarian as acting head of the association.[2]

The association's published committee structure includes technical affairs, club affairs, refereeing and rules, education, legal affairs and inspection.[4]

=== Education ===

The education committee's stated responsibilities include preparing and updating training guidance, reviewing educational standards and arranging technical, coaching and refereeing courses.[5]

=== Regulations and administration ===

Archived competition notices document the association setting entry requirements and publishing league arrangements. Its initial premier league programme for 1393 provided for eight approved teams and stated that it would not initially operate Division 2 that year.[3][14]

== National-team selection ==

The September 2013 INPL restart announcement stated that leading league players would be invited to a national-team training camp.[10]

An association report preserved in November 2014 described assessing players across eight premier teams, inviting twenty to a camp and selecting ten for the national squad.[15]

The association's later published account also describes selection arrangements connected to [[Paintball League Middle East|PALM Iran]], including invitations for players from championship teams and further selection through its technical committee.[1]

== See also ==

* [[Iranian paintball]]
* [[Paintball in Iran]]
* [[Iran National Paintball League]]
* [[Women's paintball in Iran]]
* [[Paintball League Middle East]]

== References ==

# [https://paintball.ir/pa/ Iran Paintball Association, published history, development objectives and competition arrangements. Persian.]
# [https://isfaf.ir/news/1692/رضا-آذریان-سرپرست-انجمن-پینت-بال-شد Iran Sport for All Federation, "Reza Azarian appointed acting head of the Paintball Association". Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205034603/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/18/--.aspx Iran Paintball Association, women's league participation conditions, 9 Azar 1390, archived 5 February 2012. Persian.]
# [https://paintball.ir/کمیته-های-تخصصی-انجمن/ Iran Paintball Association, specialist committees. Persian.]
# [https://paintball.ir/کمیته-تخصصی-آموزش/ Iran Paintball Association, education committee responsibilities and training programmes. Persian.]
# [https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1120/p12s01-wome.html Scott Peterson, "Iran battles boredom with paint guns", The Christian Science Monitor, 20 November 2002.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20111010212042/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11/------1390.aspx Iran Paintball Association, opening national league round of 1390, archived 10 October 2011. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20120119102016/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/25/----1390.aspx Iran Paintball Association, national league results for Azar 1390, archived 19 January 2012. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20120830063724/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/65/----INPL.aspx Iran Paintball Association, INPL cancellation and financial notice, 25 August 2012, archived 30 August 2012. Persian.]
# [https://teamantimatter.blogfa.com/post/74 Team Antimatter, reproduction of the Iran Paintball Association's INPL restart announcement, September 2013. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20120119102022/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/26/---.aspx Iran Paintball Association, appointment of the national women's paintball committee head, archived 19 January 2012. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20140407051005/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/134/-1393-----.aspx Iran Paintball Association, women's competition programme for 1393, archived 7 April 2014. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20140423030206/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/142/----29-1393.aspx Iran Paintball Association, opening women's professional competition results, 18 April 2014, archived 23 April 2014. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20140407050950/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/133/---1393.aspx Iran Paintball Association, premier league programme for 1393, archived 7 April 2014. Persian.]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20141115110859/http://www.paintball.ir:80/اخبار/tabid/102/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/194/-----INPL.aspx Iran Paintball Association, premier league and national-team report, archived 15 November 2014. Persian.]

== External links ==

* [https://paintball.ir/pa/ Association information on Paintball.ir]
* [https://isfaf.ir/ Iran Sport for All Federation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.paintball.ir/ Archived association website]

[[Category:Iranian paintball organisations]]
[[Category:Iranian paintball history]]
[[Category:Paintball in Iran]]
[[Category:2000s in Iranian paintball]]
[[Category:2010s in Iranian paintball]]
[[Category:2020s in Iranian paintball]]