Photo Report; story by: Sadeq Hosseini.

Another one who had only one leg had squeezed beneath the stone, and two other athletes who had suffered spinal injuries and were paralyzed from waist below were shaking the “kabbadeh” and played with “meel” very seriously and, instead of legs, exercised their arms.
The most interesting of all was an athlete whose legs had been amputated well above the knees but who spun on his hands and did a headstand and played with the “meel” and did tricks.
When they finished their performance, all the participants stood up respectfully and applauded for a few minutes.
Para-Olympics athletes proved that zurkhaneh is a sport without any limitations and for all people.
The main slogan of IZSF is “zurkhaneh for anyone, anywhere and anytime”, and one of the policies of the IZSF directorate is the participation of zurkhaneh sports in the Para-Olympics.
Dr. Seyed Amir Hosseini, General with Maura Strange, IWAS Secretary General at the IWAS General assembly which was held in the Czech Republic at the same time when Disables world competitions were held, had effective negotiations, and with the approval of the IWAS directorate, it was decided that in 2011 world competitions, zurkhaneh be performed in a demonstrative form.
In this regard, IZSF Secretary General said: “All people with various capabilities can benefit from zurkhaneh sports and its physical as well as spiritual aspects. Zurkhaneh is a rhythmic and harmonious sport due to the incorporation of music and can be helpful for all the athletes at the Para-Olympics.
He added: “The specialized IZSF team has started its research for the introduction and study of the ways of participation of various disabled classes in zurkhaneh sports.”

Turkey, 2010;
The First International Para-Zurkhaneh Demonstration

In summer of 2010, the IZSF directorate approved that this sport for the disabled be introduced at their first international event as a sport with high potentials for the Para-Olympic movement.
In coordination with the head of the National Para-Olympics Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it was arranged that the Iranian disabled and war-disabled selected team participate in the second Zurkhaneh Sports World Cup in Konya, Turkey.
Iranian National Para-Olympic zurkhaneh team with its amazing performance eat the Seventh  International Symposium and the opening of the Second Zurkhaneh Sports World Cup which was held in Konya, could attract the attention of all the guests, sports managers and athletes.
This team performed all parts of a perfect zurkhaneh sport including “meelgiri”, playing with the “meel”, pushup, “kabbadeh”, stone and spinning.
Mohammad Anwar jakdalek, Afghan vice-president said: “I was amazed by this team’s performance of zurkhaneh sport. I had tears in my eyes. In Afghanistan which, due to long wars, has many disabled individuals, zurkhaneh can be a ray of hope for such people.

Para-Zurkhaneh in Iran

Masoud Emami, the supervisor of this team and the president of the Disabled Zurkhaneh Sports Association, said: “Since 1989, thanks to the efforts of Shahid Seyed Shahabaddin Basamtabar who was a champion in this sport prior to being injured, the war-disabled as well as the disabled are active in this field and its association began its activity in the War-Disabled and Disabled Federation in 1994. Shahid Basamtabar managed the association until 2001, and since that time I have been in charge.
 With respect to classifications in this field, the president of the Disabled Zurkhaneh Sports Association said: “Disabled athletes participate in two standard classes of standing and sitting as well as a special class. Standing classes include A2, A4, A6, A8 and polio and sitting classes include A1, A3, chest spinal injury, back spinal injury, mupati, poliomyelitis and severe polio. And the special class is allocated to the chemical disabilities, mild psychotic disorders and disabilities which cause the least movement limitations.
 Expressing regret about the fact that zurkhanehs have not been modified to accommodate larger numbers of the disabled, Masoud Emami added: “So far 10 National Competitions have been held for teams as well as the twelve individual fields and also two “miandari” (mentoring) competitions; and the association has changed the tools according to weight classes. For instance, in the sitting class, the stone is 50 kilos while in the standing class it is 50 and 60 kilos.
The Iranian Para-Olympic zurkhaneh team supervised by Masoud Emami, the president of the Disabled Zurkhaneh Sports Association, participated in the second zurkhaneh sports world cup in Turkey.
The president of this sports association said: “Attending these games and displaying the demonstration of the Iranian disabled zurkhaneh team was the first international program of this association. The technical committee of the association tried to select the team members in a way that the team would include athletes from different ages as well as all disability classes, so that all would see that zurkhaneh sport is within the means of all age groups with any physical abilities.”

Iranian Para Zurkhaneh Team (War-Disabled and Disabled)
1- Masoud Emami, supervisor
2- Ali Fakhravar
3- Seyyed Mohammad Reza Mirshafie
4- Seyyed Ali Jazayeri
5- Hosein Rajabi
6- Nematollah Zarangar
7- Mohsen Khameh
8- Mohammad Sadegh Abdollahi
9- Mohammad Khalilnejad
10- Arsalan Amini
11- Iraj Shahrashoob
12- Mentor Amir Abbas Ghadyani
13- Mohammad Reza Lohrasbi