TEHRAN - International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons congratulated Iran for celebrating 12th National Paralympic Day.

Around 60,000 people with disabilities attended the day celebrated by the Iran National Paralympic Committee in 31 cities between November 7 and 13.

“Congratulation on Paralympic Day but I unfortunately cannot be with you. I wish you the best for this event. Iran is a powerhouse country in Paralympic Movement. It’s very incredible to see what you’re doing in many different sports with so many good athletes. I cannot wait to see you in Tokyo next year. For now, I wish all the best Iran for Paralympic Day 2019,” Parsons said in a video message.

Different activities to raise awareness of the Paralympic Movement were held. Workshops were held in schools, universities and at media houses. There were visits arranged to rehabilitation centers and people with disabilities were provided with opportunity to try Para sports.

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

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.

Next year, Iran will compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with a strong delegation that seeks to outdo their performance from Rio 2016, when they ended 15th in the medals table with eight golds, nine silvers and seven bronze.