TEHRAN – Iran’s National Paralympic Committee (NPC) celebrated the 14th National Paralympic Day on Saturday.

Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the NPC this edition of the National Paralympic Day was symbolically celebrated in Tehran’s Olympic and Paralympic Academy.

Three-time Paralympic gold medal winner Zahra Nemati, Iran’s Sports and Youth Minister Hamid Sajadi and head of National Olympic Committee Reza Salehi Amiri attended the ceremony.

The main goals of the National Paralympic Committee are to introduce the Paralympic Movement to the Iranian society, contribute to the inclusion of people with disabilities, change attitudes towards people with disabilities and provide them with social opportunities.

“We celebrated the National Paralympic Day for the 14th time and want to register it as an International Day,” Iran’s NPC president Mahmoud Khosravi Vafa said.

“The National Paralympic Day can be an inspiring day for all people with disabilities. Due to coronavirus restrictions, the Day has been held symbolically in the previous two years but we will hold the ceremony with more participants when COVID-19 lockdown ends,” he added.

Iran first celebrated the National Paralympic Day in 2003 and was included in the National Calendar by a Presidential order in 2016.

At the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Iran ended 13th in the medals table with 12 golds, 11 silvers and one bronze.