. . .Badminton is to U.S.-Iran relations?

Badminton?  Really?

Yes, really:

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will send a delegation of 12 Americans, including eight female athletes, coaches, and managers representing USA Badminton, to Tehran, Iran, from February 3-9th. The team will compete in the Fajr International Badminton Tournament at the invitation of the Iranian Badminton Federation.

Celebrating its 19th year, the Fajr Tournament is a respected international badminton event and an opportunity to compete against talented teams from many countries, including Iran. Teams representing 16 countries plan to compete in the Iranian tournament, scheduled for February 5-8th. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and USA Badminton look forward to hosting the Iranian Badminton Federation for the U.S. Open in July.

This visit is part of our people-to-people exchanges with Iran. Since 2006, the U.S. Department of State has included Iranians in a range of educational, professional, and cultural exchange programs. In the past two years, over 250 Iranians, including artists, athletes, and medical professionals, have participated in exchange programs in the United States. Through its Sports United program, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has brought the Iranian National Teams for Basketball, Water Polo, Weightlifting, and members of the men’s and women’s National Table Tennis teams to the United States. The U.S. Department of State also sent 20 members of USA Wrestling to Iran to compete in the prestigious Takhti Cup in January 2007.

Okay, maybe not.  Before you get all excited, keep in mind a couple of things.

First, this has to have been in development for a while.  It’s just too soon after the start of the Obama Administration for Hillary’s team to have put this together.  And as the release itself notes, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (which is part of what’s left from the destruction of USIA by Jesse Helms) has been putting these kinds of trips together for a while now.

Second, Iran is not China in the final throes of the Cultural Revolution.  No matter what you may think of the Iranian government, civil society does exist, and media have reported extensively on conditions inside the country.

Third, this is not going to get the kind of rapturous media coverage that “ping pong diplomacy” received nearly forty years ago.  If they’re lucky, it may get a late-night slot on ESPN6.

Fourth and most importantly, as my wife Molly would note, badminton seriously kicks ping pong’s ass.

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