As the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games concluded Sunday with the grand closing ceremony, one delegation was embroiled in controversy. Iran's Sadegh Beit Sayah, who clinched gold in the F41 category javelin throw yesterday, saw his moment of triumph turn sour due to his post-victory actions.

Overwhelmed by his win, Beit Sayah's celebration took a dark turn when he made a throat-slitting gesture toward the crowd and waved a flag bearing religious significance. Both actions breached Paralympic Committee rules, earning him two yellow cards and resulting in his disqualification. Competition organizers later linked the flag to ISIS, further compounding the issue, although the flag was for Islamic Shiism. 

Beit Sayah won gold medal but immediately got disqualified by breaking the rules for unprofessionalism & displaying a shiism flag.

This is such a cringe & embarrassing behavior. Go do your khayemalis at home.

You represent Iran at Paralympics, not Shia Islam. pic.twitter.com/S6zbEoYDwV

— Throwback Iranian Football (@Tarikh_football) September 7, 2024

The Iranian delegation's appeal against the decision was swiftly rejected, but the repercussions may extend beyond the sporting arena. French authorities are now considering pressing charges against Beit Sayah for incitement to terrorism.

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation on social media. One user commented, "Without severe consequences, we risk seeing more such extremists forsaking medals for notoriety among their radical supporters. French authorities must take action."

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Israeli Paralympian Ami Omer Dadaon secured his third swimming gold medal on Friday, finishing first in the men's 100m freestyle at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France. This victory marks Israel's second gold medal at the current games and brings the nation's total Paralympic medal count to 385, as reported by i24NEWS.

Dadaon broke the Paralympic record, finishing in 1:20.25 minutes and winning the final of the 100-meter freestyle in the S4 category. Reflecting on his mindset during the race, Dadaon shared, "When I'm in the water, I don't think about anything, only the race."

Dadaon, a world champion swimmer, acknowledged the challenges he faced during the competition. "It wasn't an easy race for me," he said in a post-race interview. Despite the difficulty, Dadaon expressed his pride in representing Israel internationally.

עמי דדאון, שזכה במדליית זהב בשחייה ל-100 מטר חופשי, שר בגאווה את המנון ״התקווה״.

עמי, אתה גאווה למדינת ישראל!

וידאו: @sport5il pic.twitter.com/G8p51UmEgK

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) August 31, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X, "Ami, you make the State of Israel proud!"

The athlete's performance not only showcased his personal achievement but also held a deeper significance for his home country. "I was able to represent the people of Israel. I have no words to describe this feeling," Dadaon said, highlighting the emotional weight of his victory. The gifted athlete kissed the Israeli flag emblem on his uniform after his victory. Despite the challenges posed by his cerebral palsy, Dadaon moved spectators by singing the Israeli national anthem during the medal ceremony. "I will sing Hatikvah. That's all I wanted – to represent the people of Israel in this period and to give them hope."

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