Amin Ghanbari - Ph.D. Student of Strategic Management in Sport, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
Habib Honari - Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
Hossein Salimi - Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law & Political Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
Farzad Ghafouri - Associate Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

Sports diplomacy is regarded as one of the most important communicative components among nations in their international relations. Regarding the mentioned fact, the main objective of this study was to provide a paradigm of sport diplomacy in the foreign policy of Iran. This is a qualitative study with exploratory nature by applying the Strauss and Corbin grounded theory approach. The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews with ۱۴ elites including sports experts and policymakers. Findings demonstrated ۱۳۳ initial concepts in open coding, reduced into ۲۷ categories, and categorized into six main themes to support the initial development of the model. The results showed that adopting appropriate strategies like managerial evolution, developing indigenous models, national brand-making through sports, educating and empowering human resources, legal and structural development of sports diplomacy, and cultural changes in Iranian professional sports could bring greater consequences that encourage governing bodies to alter attitudes toward the role of sports diplomacy, and to empowers foreign policy for strengthening mutual relations worldwide.

International Relations, Policy, Soft Power, Sport