Parviz Khosravani, one of the club’s founders, played a crucial role in its early growth. Under his leadership, the club expanded its activities beyond cycling to include various sports. By 1949, recognizing the need for a more inclusive and representative name, the club’s board of directors approved Khosravani’s proposal to rename the club from Cyclists to Taj, meaning “crown” in Persian. This change symbolized the club’s aspirations and growing prominence in the Iranian sports scene.
Expansion and Development
The transition from Cyclists to Taj marked the beginning of a new era. The organization quickly diversified its sports portfolio, encompassing 19 men’s and 13 women’s sports at its peak. These included football, wrestling (both freestyle and Greco-Roman), judo, weightlifting, boxing, bodybuilding, volleyball, basketball, badminton, track and field, tennis, table tennis, swimming and diving, cycling, fencing, mountaineering, skiing, and martial arts.
The Taj organization was not merely a collection of sports teams; it was a cultural institution that fostered athletic excellence and sportsmanship. Its football team, in particular, gained immense popularity and success, becoming the cornerstone of the organization. The Taj Tehran Football Club dominated Iranian football and laid the foundation for what would later become the Esteghlal Sports Club.