TEHRAN - In their quest for perfection, and to counter the integration of increasingly tall players into their opponents' line-up, the Iranian team can count on a major asset.

At two meters 46 (yes, you read that right, 2m46), Morteza Mehrzad has taken the team to a new level, olympics.com reported.  

Officially the second tallest living man in the world, Morteza suffers from acromegaly (a rare hormonal disorder characterized by excessive secretion of growth hormone). An accident at the age of 15 also slowed the growth of his right leg, which is now 15 centimeters shorter than his left. Spotted by the sharp eye of coach Hadi Rezaei, Morteza was integrated and trained by the Iranian federation, giving him his international debut in 2013.

Since then, he has enjoyed a string of victories and personal awards (golden ball for the world's best player in 2019, 2021 and 2022, double gold medalist at the Rio and Tokyo Games).

Defending Paralympic champions Iran will face Brazil, Germany and Ukraine in Pool B for a place in the semifinals in Paris.

Hosts France have joined Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt and Kazakhstan in Pool A.