Still, the Iranian head coach found the volleyball star and pushed him to attempt and participate in the game.
Mehrzad now has two Paralympic gold medals and two world volleyball championships under his belt after some training and adjusting to competitive matches.
He is, however, not being treated like the champion he is at the Paralympic Games in Paris with the head coach of the Iranian squad, Hadi Rezaei, disclosing he must sleep on the floor.
“In Tokyo [2020], indeed, they have made a special bed, but sadly not here [at Paris 2024],” Rezaei told Olympics.com.