TEHRAN - Leila Keshavarzi, an Iranian inventor and national taekwondo athlete, just won a gold medal at the Asian Youth Innovation Awards, which was held from April 9-11in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

When she received her award, she held a pink backpack in dedication to the 168 schoolgirls who were killed in a US missile attack on February 28 to Shajareh Tayyebeh school in the city of Minab, southern Hormozgan province. 

Competing against 35 teams from across the globe, Keshavarzi secured the gold medal in the Asian youth category.

In an interview with IRIB News Agency, Keshavarzi said one of her three presented projects had been named after the "Martyrs of Minab School."

"Although these martyrs are no longer among us, their message of peace can remain eternal and everlasting," Keshavarzi said, referring to 168 school children martyred in the American-Israeli missile strikes in Minab, Press TV reported.

Keshavarzi's tribute – symbolized by the pink backpack she carried on stage – has since resonated widely, turning a moment of personal achievement into a powerful reminder of lives cut short by the brutal and unprovoked war of aggression.

While dozens of girls and boys aged between 7 and 12 were beginning their lessons, the school was targeted by a missile strike that caused the building to collapse, trapping children and teachers beneath the rubble. 

Iranian authorities confirmed a final death toll of 168 people, with at least 95 others wounded, marking one of the most harrowing incidents of the conflict's opening day.

Despite attempts by US and Israeli authorities to distance themselves from the carnage as images of the tragedy spread across social media, detailed forensic and digital investigations have painted a starkly different picture. 

The Minab tragedy has caught the imagination of people worldwide in the past 45 days and brought to light the horrendous war crimes of the US-Israeli war machine.

Head of Iran’s Emergency Organization Majid Miadfar said in a statement on Sunday that at least 258 women and 221 under the age of 18 have been martyred in US-Israeli assaults during their war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

He added that a total of 18 children under the age of five have also been killed in the bloody onslaught.