Iran celebrate National Paralympic Day

Iran celebrated the National Paralympic Day on 16 October with Para sport exhibitions and educational workshops held at sports complexes across all 31 provinces throughout the week.

Sixty thousand students with physical and vision impairments participated, trying different Para sports including archery, boccia, goalball, sitting volleyball, table tennis, wheelchair basketball; and non-Paralympic sports such as chess, darts and tug of war.

Sports officials, coaches and families attended the exhibitions. Iran’s Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games medallists also joined the celebrations on 22 October.

“We are pleased to witness the participation of 60,000 at Iran’s 11th National Paralympic Day. This is a great day which provides an opportunity to make our targeted group familiar with the Paralympic Movement. Our message to their families is ‘confidence and hope’,” said Dr. Majid Ghadami, Iran’s deputy Minister of Education.

Iran first celebrated the National Paralympic Day in 2003 and was included in the National Calendar by a Presidential order in 2016.

Iran ended third in Indonesia 2018’s medals table after winning 51 golds, 42 silvers and 43 bronze.

The Asian country has been enjoying Para sports success lately in a number of sports such as archery, athletics, football 5-a-side, powerlifting, shooting and sitting volleyball.

At the last Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016, Iran ended 15th in the medals table with eight golds, nine silvers and seven bronze.

Archer Zahra Nemati, field athlete Mohammad Khalvandi, football 5-a-side player Behzad Zadaliasghari, shooter Sareh Javanmardidodmani, powerlifter Siamand Rahman and sitting volleyball player Morteza Mehrzadselakjani are among some of the world’s best Paralympians.