This study investigated the managerial and cultural barriers hindering women’s sport development in Iran’s under-resourced provinces, including Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Sistan-Baluchestan, East Azerbaijan, and Kerman. Adopting a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 local sport directors and coaches, selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using MAXQDA 2022 software following thematic analysis procedures.

Four interrelated themes emerged as primary obstacles: (1) cultural barriers, characterized by deep-seated gender stereotypes, traditional role definitions, and familial resistance; (2) social barriers, encompassing limited family support, minimal media coverage, and institutional disengagement; (3) managerial-structural failures, such as lack of dedicated facilities, misaligned national-local policies, and unequal budget allocation favoring men’s sports; and (4) individual-behavioral challenges, including low self-efficacy among female coaches, role conflicts between family and sport, and scarce professional training opportunities.

Critically, the findings reveal a self-reinforcing cycle where traditional norms justify institutional neglect, while existing institutional practices perpetuate these patriarchal norms. The study demonstrates that sport directors, even when personally supportive, often function not as agents of change but as enforcers of the status quo due to structural constraints. Consequently, the underdevelopment of women’s sport is not merely a technical or financial issue but a crisis of legitimacy rooted in cultural and structural exclusion. Sustainable transformation requires dismantling these interconnected barriers rather than implementing superficial awareness campaigns.