THE SPORTS SCAN – Morteza Mehrzad, the second tallest man in the world and a player for Iran’s sitting volleyball team, does not have a bed adapted to his height in the Paralympic Village.
Iran is aiming for an eighth Olympic title in sitting volleyball this year in Paris. A supremacy that the Islamic Republic’s team intends to perpetuate by relying on the size and power of its star player, Morteza Mehrzad, who is 2.46 m tall. The 36-year-old athlete, the second tallest man on the planet, can almost always smash the ball while remaining seated on his buttocks.
The most feared sitting volleyball player on the planet, the one nicknamed the «gentle giant» suffers from acromegaly, a rare disease that causes excessive growth of the face and extremities, and has to deal with some inconveniences. This has been the case since the opening of the Paralympic Games, since no beds were provided for his very particular size in the Village.
“In Tokyo in 2020, yes, they made a special bed, but unfortunately not here”explained the head coach of the selection, Hadi Rezaeigarkani, concerned about the well-being of his player and explaining that his protégé was lying on the ground.
A constraint which does not, however, seem to affect the morale of the person concerned, who is visibly used to difficult conditions. “He doesn’t have a special bed, but he has the most important goal in mind. He doesn’t care if he stays on the floor or if he doesn’t have enough to eat. Either way, he has the mind to become a champion.”reassured the coach, confiding on the Olympics.com website.
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