Iranian athlete Sadiq Beit Siya has been disqualified and stripped of his gold medal in the F41 javelin throw event at the ongoing Paralympics in Paris.
The action was taken after Sadiq Beit Siya displayed a controversial flag during his celebration. Despite setting a new Paralympic record with a throw of 47.64 meters, his gold medal has now been awarded to Indian athlete Nodip Singh, who originally secured silver with 47.32 meters. Iraqi competitor Nkhilawi Wildan took the bronze with a throw of 40.46 meters.
Sadiq Beit Siya’s disqualification has stirred considerable disappointment among Iranian sports fans. It has also impacted Iran’s standing on the medal table, where the gold would have placed them ahead of India.
Ali Asghar Hadizadeh, the head of Iran’s Paralympic Association, commented on the incident, noting that Beit-Siya, driven by his religious convictions and devotion to Hazrat Ummul Banin, took out a flag from his bag and displayed it without prior notification to his coach or any official.
The event organizers deemed this act a violation of their code of conduct, which led to his disqualification and the loss of his medal after he was issued yellow and red cards.
