Iran picked up a further five gold medals to extend its lead at the top of the medals table on the fifth day at the 2016 IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championships in Dubai, UAE on Friday.
Hamed Amiri (F54) completed a hat trick of gold medals at Dubai 2016 in emphatic style as he won the shot put F53 with a new Asian record at the city’s Dubai Police Officer’s Club stadium.
The 33-year-old threw 9.69m (940 points) - adding four centimeters on to the F53 Asian record -in the fourth round to take the title ahead of his compatriot Alireza Mokhtari Hemami (F53), who managed a best of 7.61m.
Hashemiyeh Motaghian Moavi (F56) smashed the Asian record to win the women’s discus F54-57. The world finalist added an impressive 1.30m on to the mark she set in Qatar last year with a best of 20.83m (890 points).
Further success came Iran’s way as Ramezanali Doolabi threw 13.14m to win the shot put F46, while Mohammad Alvanpour outclassed the field in the men’s javelin throw F55/56. The 29-year-old Asian Para Games champion managed 36.86m in the penultimate round to seal the win ahead of Vietnam’s shot put F55/56 champion Be Hau Nguyenon.
On the track there was gold for Iran’s Amin Abdolpour (F46) in the 1,500m T37/38/46 while Malaysia’s Nasharuddin Mohd clocked an Asian record in the men’s 400m T20, his time of 50.30 knocking more than one second off the previous mark.
Iran has won 18 gold medals, nine silvers and seven bronzes so far.
More than 220 athletes from 24 countries are participating in the first ever IPC Athletics Asia-Oceania Championships, underway until 12 March at the Police Officer’s Club Stadium in Dubai.