Taekwondo player Nahid Kiani, left, and shooter Javad Foroughi, right, have been named as Iran's flagbearers for this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou ©NOCIRI

Iran has named shooter Javad Foroughi and taekwondo player Nahid Kiani as its flagbearers for this year's re-arranged Asian Games in Hangzhou, it has been announced.

Foroughi became the oldest Iranian athlete to win an Olympic medal at Tokyo 2020, claiming gold in men's 10-metre air pistol.

It was Iran's first medal in shooting in the history of Olympics.

The 43-year-old Foroughi surpassed weightlifter Mahmoud Namdjou, who was 38 when he took bronze at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

Foroughi’s victory in the Japanese capital caused controversy as he is a nurse in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and served in Syria.

United for Navid, a campaign set up after the execution of wrestler Navid Afkari, claimed that due to Foroughi's membership in the Revolutionary Guard, he "is a current and longtime member of a terrorist organisation."

Javad Foroughi became Iran's oldest Olympic medallist and its first in shooting when he won gold in the 10m air pistol at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images
Javad Foroughi became Iran's oldest Olympic medallist and its first in shooting when he won gold in the 10m air pistol at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

Kiani is also the first Iranian woman taekwondo athlete to win a gold medal in the history of the World Championships.

She claimed the gold in the 53 kilograms division at this year’s World Taekwondo Championships in Baku in Azerbaijan earlier this month.

At the last Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Kiani won a bronze medal in the 49kg.

This year's Asian Games, which were due to take place last year but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are scheduled to open on September 23 and last until October 8.

They will be the first to feature both male and female flagbearers to follow the lead set by the International Olympic Committee at Tokyo 2020 to help encourage gender parity.

At Jakarta-Palembang 2018, shooter Elaheh Ahmadi made history when she became the first woman to carry Iran’s flag at the Asian Games Opening Ceremony.

She was given the honour after the original choice, taekwondo player Kimia Alizadeh, had to withdraw from the Games due to injury.

Elaheh Ahmadi became the first woman to carry Iran's flag in the Asian Games Opening Ceremony at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 ©Getty Images
Elaheh Ahmadi became the first woman to carry Iran's flag in the Asian Games Opening Ceremony at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 ©Getty Images

At the 2018 Asian Games, Iran finished sixth on the medals table, claiming 20 golds, 20 silvers and 22 bronzes.

Iran's best performance was in 1974 when Tehran hosted the Games and they won a total of 81 medals, including 36 golds, to finish second overall.

The country's best performance in a foreign Games was at Incheon 2014 when they won 57 medals, including 21 golds, to finish fifth.

Iran revealed in April that they plan to take part in 30 sports at Hangzhou 2022, the same as Jarkarta-Palembang 2018.

There is due to be 482 medal events in 40 sports.