His height along with the fact that he can strike a ball 6 feet 4 inches off the ground while sitting have seen Mehrzad become a vital cog in Iran’s gold medal push.
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To that point, Iran’s sitting volleyball team has the biggest weapon at the 2016 Rio Paralympics – literally.
Mehrzad suffered a pelvis injury at the age of 15 after he fell of his bike, which caused his right leg to stop growing.
Mehrzad, who is nearly 29 now, began playing sitting volleyball five years ago when Iran’s coach saw him featured on a TV show about “people with physical abnormalities and unusual talents”. He normally uses a wheelchair or crutches to get around. His left leg ended up being six inches longer.
Mehrzad, now 28, was noticed by an Iran sitting volleyball coach while appearing on TV about five years ago.
‘I was alone, I was depressed, but my life has changed from playing sitting volleyball and being a Paralympian, ‘ Mehrzadselakjani said on Iranian television.
“We have given him the platform to be Paralympic champion”, coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani said.
Some things just have to be seen to be believed and Iran’s Morteza Mehrzadselakjani is one of them.
Iran has won gold or silver in men’s sitting volleyball at the last seven Paralympics.
Mehrzad had four successful spikes in 10 attempts in Iran’s first match Saturday, a sweep of China, but he didn’t play at all in the first or third set, according to Rio 2016 and The New York Times.
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Rwanda plays world number two U.S. on Wednesday in their final group B match that will take place at 3pm local time after which playoff games will follow.
