Paris 2024: Iran claims eighth men’s sitting volleyball gold
On day nine of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Iran’s men’s sitting volleyball team, the favorites to win, claimed their eighth Paralympic gold medal with a 3-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Iran’s Meisam Ali Pour said, “Our team deserved to win this gold medal. It was a tough match, but very exciting.”
This was the fifth time Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina met in the men’s Paralympic gold medal match. Bosnia won the first set 22-25, but Iran came back to win the next three sets: 30-28, 25-16, and 25-14.
Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, who was also on Iran’s gold-winning teams in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, was the top scorer in the final.
Ali Pour praised Mehrzadselakjani, saying, “Morteza is one of the best players in the world. He’s a fantastic spiker and scores many points, but it’s a team effort. Ramezan Salehihajikolaei is a great setter who helps Morteza.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has now won seven consecutive Paralympic medals in sitting volleyball, improved from bronze in Tokyo to silver in Paris.
Mirzet Duran from Bosnia and Herzegovina said, “Even though it’s silver, it feels like gold to us. We played well and nearly won the second set. For a small country like ours, seven Paralympic medals in one sport is a huge achievement.”
Egypt Wins Bronze in a Close Match
Egypt won the bronze medal in a tight match against Germany, finishing with a 3-2 victory. The teams were very close throughout, with only six points separating them.
Egypt’s Hesham Elshwikh, who also won bronze in Athens 2004 and Rio 2016, said, “I’m very happy with the win. It was a tough match, and I kept telling my team to stay focused. I’m proud of how hard we fought.”
The match scores were close: 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, with Egypt winning the final set 15-10.
Germany’s Juergen Schrapp, who has also won bronze in Athens 2004 and London 2012, said, “It was a close game, and Egypt deserved the win. We gave it our all for our fans, but we’re sad to lose.”
Women’s Sitting Volleyball Finals
On September 7, the women’s sitting volleyball finals will take place. The USA will compete against China for gold, while Brazil and Canada will play for bronze .
