TEHRAN - Iran's chef de mission for the 2020 Paralympic Games Hadi Rezaei says they will participate in the Games with the aim of winning more medals than the previous edition.

Iran enjoyed a success Paralympic Games in 2016, with the nation placing 15th in the medals table.

The Iranian Para athletes claimed eight gold, nine silver and seven bronze medals in Rio.

“Around 4,350 athletes from 165 countries will compete in Tokyo and Para athletes will compete in 540 medal events across 22 sports. We will partake at the Games with 45 male and 12 female para athletes and our preliminary observations show that we could win 11 gold, 13 silver and eight bronze medals in the event,” Rezaei said in the news conference held in Iran’s NPC headquarters on Monday.

“Iran have a chance of winning medals in the men’s sitting volleyball, Para archery, Para shooting, powerlifting, football-5-a-side, Para taekwondo, athletic and judo. We don’t expect to win medal at the men’s wheelchair basketball, Paracanoe, women’s sitting volleyball, swimming, and the men’s goalball in Tokyo but it will be a good opportunity for our athletes in preparation for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games,” he added.

“It was our policy in the 2018 Asian Para Games and we finished in the third place in medal table in Jakarta. Our athletes will not go to Tokyo as tourists. We want to be among the top 10 countries in Tokyo,” the sitting volleyball legend stated.  

Asked him whether Para archer Zahra Nemati can participate at the 2020 Olympic Games, Rezaei said, “It depends on her. She can participate in the Olympic Games and join us one month later. But I believe that Nemati should focus on one event.”