Shahpour Zarnegar received training from Italian coaches and represented Iran in all three team disciplines at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as well as the individual épée, where he was eliminated in the first round of all of them. His only other major international appearance came at the 1966 World Championships, where he again failed to advance beyond the first round in any individual or team event. He made a much greater impact and his role as a coach, however, earning a scholarship to study fencing in France. He then helped run the national team between 1968 and 1974 and later served as acting vice-president of the Iranian Fencing Federation.
Zarnegar wrote two books on fencing and was a referee in round one of the individual épée tournament at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. By career, he was a police officer and also a professor of police sciences. His brother Bizhan fenced in every individual and team event at the 1964 Tokyo Games and also refereed two rounds in 1976.