Sitting volleyball: Iran, the insurmountable mountain

There are the All Blacks in rugby, France in handball, Brazil in cecifoot and... Iran in sitting volleyball. Since its first appearance at the Paralympic Games in Seoul in 1988, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been taking it all in its stride, winning 7 gold and 2 silver medals. Focus on THE men's sitting volleyball nation.

Such hegemony in top-level sport cannot go unnoticed. Paralympiad after paralympiad, Iran remains at the pinnacle of sitting volleyball. The proof is in the extraordinary record of this team, led by the emblematic Hadi Rezaei: 7 gold medals and 2 silver medals in 9 participations, meaning 100% of finals played (not to mention 8 world titles won over the period). It is therefore only logical that this nation should present itself at the Arena Paris Nord, from August 29 to September 7, as the great favorite.

The man behind this success story is Hadi Rezaei, who became an international in 1983, then captain and finally coach of Iran's men's sitting volleyball team. And under his leadership, Iran leaves nothing but crumbs for its rivals. In fact, the Iranian people would find it hard to accept anything other than a gold medal at the Paris Games. “If we get second place at the Paralympics, it means we've failed” observes the coach, who can count on considerable support to push his team's limits ever further. “The support of the government, the population, the clubs, the sponsors, the beauty of the sport and the support of the athletes” are all factors that explain the success of Iranian sitting volleyball.

Unwavering support

Mohammad Tabe, General Secretary of the Iranian Paralympic Committee, highlights “the work carried out behind the scenes, in particular a strong domestic championship, which has helped turn the national team into a serial winner. The provision of sports facilities throughout the country and the continued presence of top players at international events can also be seen as important factors in this development”. The government's financial backing and the support of the media contribute to the ongoing success, which today enables Iran's Olympic and Paralympic athletes to receive equal prize money and to develop the women's team.

Morteza Mehrzad, the fatal weapon

In their quest for perfection, and to counter the integration of increasingly tall players into their opponents' line-up, the Iranian team can count on a major asset. At two meters 46 (yes, you read that right, 2m46), Morteza Mehrzad has taken the team to a new level. Officially the second tallest living man in the world, Morteza suffers from acromegaly (a rare hormonal disorder characterized by excessive secretion of growth hormone). An accident at the age of 15 also slowed the growth of his right leg, which is now 15 centimetres shorter than his left. Spotted by the sharp eye of coach Hadi Rezaei, Morteza was integrated and trained by the Iranian federation, giving him his international debut in 2013. Since then, he has enjoyed a string of victories and personal awards (golden ball for the world's best player in 2019, 2021 and 2022, double gold medallist at the Rio and Tokyo Games).

Combining power and agility

His extraordinary size highlights all the qualities required for sitting volleyball, a discipline very similar to its Olympic equivalent (same ball, same principles of play). In both cases, being tall gives you an undeniable advantage in attack (for smashing) and defense (for countering at the net). As the player's buttocks or back must always remain in contact with the ground, measuring 2.46 m (1.95 m seated and arms raised) makes it easier to control the court separated by a 1.15 m high net.
Beyond size, sitting volleyball requires technique, finesse and power. And in this area, Morteza Mehrzad and his team-mates are untouchable. On the 6-metre long, 10-metre wide court, the Iranians have no equal when it comes to finding free zones to win points and sets (matches are played in three 25-point sets).

A young nation in the Paralympic world (only making its debut in 1988 in Seoul), Iran already has a total of 113 medals, the 33rd best record. At Tokyo 2021, Iran finished in 13th place with 24 medals, 12 of them gold, better than the French delegation (14th).