TEHRAN - Iranian national sitting volleyball team outside hitter Morteza Mehrzad says they are going to win the gold medal for a third successive time in Asian Para Games.

Mehrzad was part of the Iranian team winning the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and 2018 Sitting Volleyball World Championships gold medals.

The tallest man ever to compete a Paralympic Games has played a crucial role to the volleyball team's great results over the past three years.

“Iran are favorite to win the gold medal in Jakarta for the time in a row. I think the most difficult opponents in the competition are ourselves. We are here to make the Iranian people happy,” Mehrzad told reporters at the athletes' village.

“After the World Championships in the Netherlands, we held two training camps and are well prepared physically for the Games,” he added.

“I have to say, our main goal is winning the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” Mehrzad added.

The 2018 Asian Para Games will be held from October 6th to 13th at the Bung Karno Sports Complex in the capital city of Jakarta.

Team Iran finished in fourth place in the past two editions in Guangzhou (2010) and Incheon (2014).