Staying Afloat. Sajjad Vesagh

In Hamadan, a group of young canoeists trains in a recreational pool on the slopes of Abbas Abad. They practice canoe polo, kayaking and slalom in a space that was never designed as a professional training facility.

Led by coach Mohammad Valadi, a former medalist at national and international competitions, the team continues to train despite limited space, inadequate facilities and an uncertain future for access to the pool. Kayaks are repaired by hand, changing space is shared between athletes, and a small container serves as storage, shelter and locker room. In winter, training continues through snow and freezing temperatures.

For the young athletes, however, the limitations of their surroundings have not erased their ambitions. Some have already been identified through national team talent programs, offering a glimpse of what they might achieve with greater opportunities.

This project follows the everyday life of a team trying to stay active under difficult conditions. Beyond the sport itself, it is about persistence, childhood, community and the quiet effort required to keep moving forward when the infrastructure around you is not built for your dreams.

Team members pull their kayaks out of the water during a break in training.

Mahyar is a member of the canoe polo team. Because the number of players is not enough to form a men’s team in Hamadan, he competes for teams from other cities while continuing to train in Hamadan.

Training children and identifying new talents are among the goals of the Hamadan canoeing team.

A young team member’s sandals lie beside a kayak and a paddle at the training site.

Mohammad Valadi, the team’s head coach and a national and international medalist, works to keep the team active despite limited facilities.

The girls’ and men’s teams train in the same recreational pool because of a lack of proper facilities and access to a standard training pool.

Mehrsa, one of the youngest members of the team, follows intensive training despite her young age.

The team’s coach is also responsible for part of the maintenance and repair of the kayaks.

Mohammad Valadi repairs and prepares one of the team’s kayaks.

The team trains in a recreational pool. Because the team’s container is located some distance from the training area, a tent has been set up for the athletes, who hang their clothes on railings to dry after training.

Matineh Nouri, coach of the girls’ team, gives instructions to the athletes before training and their departure for the national team talent identification camp.