India’s para-athletics head coach, Satyanarayana, expressed his elation over Navdeep Singh’s silver medal being upgraded to gold at the Paris Paralympics after Iran’s appeal was rejected by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The men’s javelin F41 final, marked by record-breaking performances, took an unexpected turn when Iranian athlete Sadegh Beit Sayah, who initially won with a throw of 47.64m, was disqualified, moving Navdeep from second place to first with his throw of 47.32m.
Sadegh’s disqualification was due to a breach of Rule 8.1 of the IPC’s code of conduct, which prohibits “unsporting or improper conduct” during competitions. According to Satyanarayana, Sadegh used an improper flag during the event, which led to his disqualification. “Iran’s athlete breached the code of conduct by using the wrong flag—only the national flag can be used. Iran protested, but the IPC rejected their appeal, and I’m thrilled that Navdeep’s silver medal was upgraded to gold,” the coach said.
The controversy stemmed from Sadegh reportedly unfurling a black flag with inscriptions, a violation that could be interpreted as improper conduct. The IPC took swift action, ensuring that the competition upheld the highest standards of fairness and integrity, leading to Navdeep’s victory being recognized.
