Identifying the obstacles to the development of individual sports in Iran based on Q methodology

Extended Abstract
Introduction
Governments today allocate substantial resources to the domain of competitive sports, as the success of a nation's athletes in international competitions often elevates that nation's image and reputation on the global stage. In recent decades, the competition among nations to secure medals in international events has intensified markedly. Within this context, sports officials and stakeholders are actively exploring strategies to enhance their success at the world level. Traditionally, sports have been categorized as either individual or team-based, with a historical perception that individual sports lack excitement. However, recent research has called this perspective into question. Conversely, individual sports occupy a unique position in competitive arenas and contribute significantly to a country's overall medal tally, with the value of their medals being comparable to those earned in team sports. It is evident that the federations governing individual sports encounter numerous challenges and obstacles in fulfilling their responsibilities and achieving their objectives. Consequently, the aim of the present research is to identify the barriers to the development of individual sports in Iran utilizing Q methodology.
Methods
The research was deemed to be of an applied nature given its objectives, while also adopting an exploratory approach and utilizing Q methodology, thereby classifying it as mixed research. The target population comprised sports management professors, accomplished individuals in specific sports disciplines, experienced coaches in individual sports, heads of individual sports teams and federations, as well as veterans of individual sports within Iran. A total of 12 interviews were conducted with research experts, and ultimately, 28 individuals responded to the Q questionnaire. The data obtained from sorting the Q statements were entered into SPSS version 16 software and analyzed using varimax rotation (exploratory factor analysis).
Results
The findings highlighted the existence of 32 obstacles to the development of individual sports. The deficiencies in contemporary sports facilities, the absence of an effective talent identification system in individual sports, the limited media coverage of these sports, the lower income levels of individual athletes compared to their counterparts in team sports, Lack of internal trainers' development in relation to the latest global knowledge, the lack of international recognition and representation, inadequate management and planning by sports federations, the inability to compete in major sporting events such as the Olympics, the inadequate presence of active sports clubs within the country, coupled with insufficient support for private clubs, a failure to fulfill commitments, and the indifference of officials towards athletes, alongside the presence of formidable competitors in Asia in sports such as table tennis, badminton, swimming, and gymnastics, as well as a neglect of fundamental and proper training, the failure to host prestigious international competitions within the country, and the insufficient development of women's sports constitute significant obstacles in this context.  Finally, based on the results of the exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation, it was concluded that there are a total of eight distinct mental models, prioritized as follows: economic-oriented, scientific-oriented, competition-oriented, contest-oriented, support-oriented, specialization-oriented, media-oriented, and management-oriented individuals. These models pertain to the barriers to the development of individual sports in Iran.
Conclusion
In a general conclusion, it should be stated that individual sports in the country are facing many problems that hinder the development of these disciplines despite being popular, winning medals at the level of world championships and even being cheaper than some It has made it difficult for team disciplines. The fact that 8 mental patterns have been identified shows the importance that various factors are effective in this problem and only the stated problems cannot be solved in a superficial way and it is important that according to the priorities, the existing resources and capacities tried to remove these obstacles.