TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran sent a record 110 athletes to Rio 2016, returning eight golds, nine silvers, and seven bronzes to finish 15th in the medals table.
Speaking during a webinar run by Iran’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC), Rezaei, who won gold medals in sitting volleyball at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, and Atlanta 1996 as a player, said that they are going to send nine sports to the prestigious competition.
Iran will compete in athletics, archery, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, taekwondo, rowing, judo, shooting, and powerlifting at next year’s Paralympics.
“We are preparing for the Paralympic Games and will participate in the warm-up tournaments but we would rather take part in the high-level events,” Rezaei said.
“Two male taekwondo practitioners have so far won their place in the Games but there is a chance we send a female to Tokyo. In shooting, three female shooters have booked their place so far. We will also send a female rower to the Games,” he added.
“In archery, four male and one female will partake at the competition, and in Judo we are going to send two practitioners to Tokyo but it could be increased to three,” the Iran sitting volleyball head coach went on to say.
“Six powerlifters, as well as nine Para athletes, will be sent to Tokyo. Two sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball teams consisting of 24 athletes will partake in the Games,” Rezaei concluded.
About 4,400 competitors from more than 160 countries were due to head to the Japanese capital for the Games this summer before it was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- source : Tehran Times
