TEHRAN – Iranian sports journalist Mehdi Shadmani died early Saturday at the age of 37 after years of fighting cancer.

He died from Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer in Tehran’s Baqiyatallah Hospital.

Shadmani will be laid to rest on Sunday in Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.

“I am most thankful and full of praises to Almighty God for granting me this rare opportunity. I wanted to help people [through my job, journalism].

“How can I say it? I enjoy my life, because God has taken notice of me. God takes care for me and fixes broken things in life. God has granted me this nice woman,” Shadmani said a month ago.

Shadmani is survived by his wife and two children.

Tehran Times staff wish to express deepest sympathy and condolences to his bereaved family.