Dubai 2025 Asian Youth Para Games:
Iranians collect triple powerlifting golds
Iranian athletes got off to a flying start at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, claiming four medals – including three golds – in para powerlifting on Wednesday.
Zahra Pouladi and Mahdiyeh Ehsani captured the top prizes in the women’s 41kg and 49kg weight classes, respectively, while Amirali Rashidi won gold in the men’s 49kg division on the first day of action at the multi-sport event.
Iran’s fourth medal came in the men’s 54kg category, where Mohammad-Javad Nasirimoqaddam settled for silver.
Elnaz Mottaqian added another silver to Iran’s tally, despite three successful attempts (56kg, 58kg, 60kg) in the women’s 50kg contest.
Pouladi began her campaign with a successful 65kg lift, followed by 69kg and 70kg attempts to secure the top spot ahead of competitors from Uzbekistan and Iraq.
Ehsani also completed a clean sweep of her three efforts, lifting 45kg, 56kg, and 59kg to beat the Uzbek and Iraqi powerlifters to the gold.
Rashidi, meanwhile, posted successful lifts of 126kg and 129kg before failing at 131kg, but his second attempt was enough for the young Iranian to prevail in a tight contest featuring athletes from Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Iraq.
A second lift of 115kg saw Nasirimoqaddam finish behind the Mongolian athlete, who dominated the event with a remarkable 146kg effort.
Named “Children of Iran, Ambassadors of Victory,” the Iranian delegation features 194 athletes – including 74 female competitors – across 11 disciplines at the fifth edition of the Games.
Iran has participated in all four previous editions of the Asian Youth Para Games, finishing runner-up in the first three – Tokyo 2009, Kuala Lumpur 2013, and Dubai 2017 – before topping the table in Manama 2021.
Across those four editions, Iran has collected 144 gold, 139 silver, and 107 bronze medals.