Iran’s Tallest Paralympian to uphold 7th volleyball title in Paralympics

Morteza Mehrzadselakjani – the tallest Paralympian in history, fires attacks to dominate the Sitting Volleyball Tournament, defending Iran’s Paralympic Title on Saturday with a 3-1 win (25-21, 25-14, 19-25, 25-17) over the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC).

The 8″1-inch-tall athlete successfully assisted the team in capturing their seventh gold medal since 1988, victoriously stamping their name in the event. Mehrzad, a paralympian, has a reach of six feet (in sitting), making him an invaluable asset to the team. After semi-finals victory against the Bosnia and Herzegorina, Mehrzad said in an interview, “Before starting to play sitting volleyball, I was sitting at home because I was ashamed of my height’’. He also added that “After I was on a TV program, the sitting volley program asked me to join them and it was like magic, it changed my whole life”.

Mehrzad was also a member of the winning team in the Rio Olympics five years ago, with a record of 25 spikes, two blocks, and an ace in the finals, leading Iran with 28 points against the RPC, which was the only team to get a set off Iran. RPC’s Mersam Ali Pour had 17 points, and Viktor Milenin had 30.

Despite of the attention he is receiving from the media, Mehrzad shared that he feels uncomfortable with the spotlight compared to his teammates.

“I’m just taller than my teammates, but every one of them is very important in playing their each role. I also maximizing my potentials despite of my physical situation’’, he said.

RPC wins silver, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, the gold medalists in the 2004 and 2012 tournaments, takes bronze against Brazil.

Source: CNN news