TEHRAN - Iranian sports journalist Mehdi Shadmani was laid to rest in Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery on Sunday.

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.

Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, minister of Information and Technology Communications, Reza Salehi Amiri, President of National Olympic Committee (NOC), former mayor of Tehran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ali Daei, ex-Iran striker and Hadi Tabatabaei, former Team Melli goalkeeper, attended the funeral service in Tehran’s Shahid Shiroodi Stadium.

A couple hundred journalists were in attendance.

Shadmani is survived by his wife and two children.

“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.

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