Hadi Rezaei, already announced as the Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, has now been appointed as chief executive of the I. R. Iran National Paralympic Committee ©I. R. Iran National Paralympic Committee

Iran’s sitting volleyball coach Hadi Rezaei has been appointed as the new chief executive of the I. R. Iran National Paralympic Committee for a four-year term.

In February, the 59-year-old had been named as Iran's Chef de Mission for next year's Paralympic Games in Tokyo. 

Rezaei fulfilled the same role at last year's Asian Para Games in Jakarta where Iran finished third overall in the medal table. 

He is one of Iran's most celebrated Paralympic athletes and coaches.

Razaei was captain of the country's sitting volleyball team that won Paralympic gold medals at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996.

He was then coach of the team that won gold medals at Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016, and silver at Athens 2004 and London 2012. 

Hadi Rezaei has either captained or coached Iran's sitting volleyball team to six Paralympic Games gold medals ©Getty Images
Hadi Rezaei has either captained or coached Iran's sitting volleyball team to six Paralympic Games gold medals ©Getty Images

Iran's best performance at the Paralympic Games since they made their debut at Seoul in 1988 was at London 2012, when they finished 11th with a total of 24 medals, including 10 gold.

They won the same number of medals at Rio 2016 but only eight of them were gold, meaning they slipped to 15th.

Iran won a total of 136 medals at Jakarta 2018, including 51 gold, finishing behind China and South Korea, who won 319 and 144 medals respectively. 

They finished ahead of Tokyo 2020 hosts Japan, who won more medals than Iran - 198 - but fewer gold - 45.

Iran sent a record number of competitors to Rio 2016, being represented by 110 athletes in 12 sports.