Azerbaijan, Iraq name athletes to Rio 2016

The National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Azerbaijan, Iraq, Aruba and the Dominican Republic have announced their delegations for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan will be sending 41 athletes: 16 in athletics, seven in judo, two in powerlifting, 12 in swimming, three in shooting and one in archery; additionally five of the athletes are women.

Paralympic, world and European champion judoka Ilham Zakiyev will be the nation’s flag bearer.

Zakiyev captured gold medals in the men’s over 100kg at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. He left London 2012 with the bronze medal and will be targeting his fourth Paralympic appearance.

Fellow judoka Ramin Ibrahimov looks to defend his gold medal from four years ago in the men’s up to 60kg.

In athletics, Oleg Panyutin will return for his fourth Games after taking gold in the men’s triple jump F12 four years ago, and also helped the Azerbaijani men’s 4x100m T11-13 relay team secure the bronze medal.

Compatriot Olokhan Musayev, a Beijing 2008 gold medallist, will look to bring home a medal in the field events after failing to reach the podium in London.

Iraq

The Iraqi Paralympic Committee has announced it will send 14 athletes to compete at Rio 2016, two of whom are women.

Iraq will send six in athletics: Kovan Hasan Abdulraheem, Abbas Al-Darraji, Zahraa Afshawi, Wildan Nukhailawi, Garrah Nassar Tnaiash and Amed Ghani Naas.

Tnaiash took shot put F40 gold at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and looks to replicate that performance in his first Paralympic Games. After finishing runner-up in the javelin throw four years ago, Naas will go for another try in Paralympic glory at Rio 2016.

Rasool Mohsin and Hasan Al-Tameemi will look to bring home medals in powerlifting.

Ammar Ali and Zainulabdeen Al-Madhkhoori will represent Iraq in wheelchair fencing.

Jawad Joudah will compete in swimming, and Garrah Albdoor will take to the mat in judo.

Jawad Kadhim Ali Al-Musawi and Zaman Al-Saedi will pull out their bows for archery.

Aruba and Dominican Republic

Twenty-year-old swimmer Jesus de Marchena Acevedo will be Aruba’s sole representative.

Dominican Republic will send two athletes to participate in Rio 2016. Jose Frank Rodriguez will compete in cycling, whilst Joselito Hernandez will take part in track and field events.

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Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.

Visa International is the exclusive payment card and the official payment system for the Paralympic Games.