In a stunning turn of events at the Paralympic Games, Iranian athlete Sadegh Beit Sayah snagged gold in the men's F41 javelin, setting a new record with a 47.64-meter throw. But the glory was short-lived. The Paralympic Committee stripped him of the medal, citing "unsportsmanlike conduct."
Though the IPC stayed mum on details, cameras caught Beit Sayah pulling out a black flag with red Arabic script post-victory. Rumors swirled that it was a religious symbol, raising questions about sportsmanship. Social media also buzzed with images of Beit Sayah celebrating with a controversial gesture evoking a slit throat or beheading, sparking speculation that this might have led to his disqualification.
Some outlets labeled the flag "offensive," while others slammed the decision as politicization by French hosts. Notably, he brandished a similar flag at Tokyo 2020, earning a silver medal without penalty. The Iranian team appealed twice, but to no avail.
Enter India's Navdeep Singh, who moved from silver to gold amid the chaos. "I was with the Iranian when he heard the news. He was shocked, started crying. I hugged him, but language barriers kept us from understanding each other," Singh recounted. "Guess it was India's lucky day!"
Singh added, "We were all in the room post-competition when an official flashed a red card at the Iranian, announcing his disqualification. I was clueless. He must've breached the rules somehow. Initially, I thought it was an issue with his attire."