TEHRAN – Jalil Koohpayehzadeh, head of Iran's Sports Federation for the Disabled, emphasized that sports for people with disabilities serve as a powerful motivation to overcome physical and mental challenges.

In a press conference held at the federation’s headquarters, Koohpayehzadeh praised Paralympic athletes, describing them as true celebrities.

"In my opinion, all Paralympic athletes are genuine celebrities. Imagine yourself as a boccia player who must move a ball despite significant physical difficulties, or as a swimmer without arms or legs, relying solely on your body to swim," Koohpayehzadeh said.

"Since last year, we have been training in weightlifting, athletics, swimming, and arm-wrestling in preparation for the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games. These training camps will continue until the first week of December. In addition to the Youth Para Asian Games, we will participate in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia, competing in athletics and weightlifting. Our focus is on achieving the best possible results in both events," he added.

"It is impossible to improve athletes’ records without utilizing the latest global technologies and enhancing the technical knowledge of coaches. Therefore, alongside improving coaches' skills, we have adopted modern scientific tools such as artificial intelligence. This technology has been introduced and is currently being used in the training of visually impaired athletes," Koohpayehzadeh explained.

"A year after the 2024 Paralympic Games, our teams have begun preparations for the next edition. We are especially focusing on our young generation. In December, the 2025 Youth Para Games will be held in the UAE, in which our youth will participate in eight sports. Our aim is to increase this to ten sports in future editions," he noted.

"Sports for the disabled are highly inspiring and motivate individuals to lead more active lives. They serve as a significant source of inspiration for people with disabilities. For the Islamic Games, we will participate in athletics and weightlifting. Like previous performances in Konya, Turkey, we aim to deliver excellent results," Koohpayehzadeh stated.

Regarding the absence of the national sitting volleyball team from the U.S., he explained: "Sitting volleyball is an international honor. Since last year, we have established two national sitting volleyball teams. The youth team will compete in the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, while the main team aim for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the 12-day war prevented the sitting volleyball team from traveling to the Netherlands, and we also missed the World Para Volleyball Championship in the U.S. due to political circumstances and a decision by the Ministry of Sports."

"Next July, the 2026 World Para Volleyball Championship will be held in China, where the top team will qualify directly for the Los Angeles Paralympics. Our women's team are also striving to secure a quota for the upcoming Paralympics," Koohpayehzadeh concluded.