Iran 7-a-side football team awarded Rio 2016 Paralympics berth

The Iranian men’s national 7-a-side football team will be participating at the forthcoming 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after a ban on Russian athletes competing in the prestigious sports event was held, giving the Persians a belated berth.

“Following the exclusion of Russia’s 7-a-side football team from the Rio Paralympic games, Iran substituted the [European] side,” Aminollah Mani, the head of the Football 7-a-side Association at the Islamic Republic of Iran Sports Federation for the Disabled, said on Wednesday.

He added, “The two criteria of world ranking and position in the respective continent were taken into consideration as authorities found a replacement for Russia. The Iranian team is named Asia’s best. Additionally, it delivered an outstanding performance at the 2016 International Federation of CP Football (IFCPF) World Championships Qualification Tournament in Denmark, and was crowned champion.”

“We have been in contact with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) over the past few months. Our players, who initially underwent an emotional breakdown after failing to take part in World Championships and secure a Paralympic spot due to the British officials’ non-cooperation, have now qualified for the Paralympics,” Mani noted.

“Our national players are currently training and preparing themselves. They have become more motivated following the news of Paralympics quota reception. We hope to get properly prepared for the Paralympic games in Rio,” the Iranian sports official pointed out.

The 7-a-side football is a form of association football for athletes with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders, namely stroke and traumatic brain injury. Matches consist of two 30-minute halves, with a 15-minute interval, and are played with modified FIFA rules.

On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed an appeal filed by the Russian Paralympic Committee, excluding Russian athletes from Rio Paralympics competitions over a vast doping program.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev denounced the doping charges, stating that the Paralympic ban constituted a “cynical” attempt by adversaries to eliminate strong and competent contestants from the Paralympics.

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