Iranian Javelin Thrower Disqualified from Paralympics Final
Iranian athlete Sadegh Beit Sayah’s Paralympic dream was shattered on Saturday when he was disqualified from the men’s javelin throw F41 final in Paris. The disqualification came after Sayah had set a new Paralympic record with a throw of 47.64 meters in his fifth attempt.
The F41 category is for athletes with short stature. Sayah’s disqualification was due to a violation of rule 8.1 of the World Para Athletics Rules and Regulations (Code of Conduct and Ethics). The rule states that “World Para Athletics (WPA) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and conduct in the sport of Para athletics. All participants in the sport, including athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators, have a responsibility to uphold these standards and ensure that the sport is conducted in a fair, honest, and transparent manner.”
The Paris Paralympics committee has not revealed the specific reason for Sayah’s disqualification. However, fans have speculated that it may have been due to his display of a black flag with Arabic text in red during the competition.
The disqualification was a major blow to Sayah, who had been favored to win the gold medal. It also marked a disappointing end to the Paralympics for Iran, which had hoped to finish among the top 10 in the medal standings.
Meanwhile, India’s Navdeep Singh benefited from Sayah’s disqualification. Singh, who had originally finished fourth, was awarded the gold medal. It was a redemption arc for Singh, who had finished fourth in the same event at the Tokyo Paralympics.