Iraqi para-fencer Nizar wins silver at international classification tournament

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Paralympic Committee said national para-fencer Abdulrahman Ziyad Nizar won a silver medal at the international "Satellite" Classification Tournament. The committee said the result came within a classification program aimed at preparing athletes for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Nizar won four consecutive matches in the group stage before defeating a Chinese opponent 15-9 in the quarterfinals and an Uzbek rival 15-11 in the semifinals to reach the final. He faced another Chinese fencer in the gold-medal bout and finished with silver. Ali Saadi Mennehi, president of the Iraqi Para-Fencing Federation, said the outcome reflected the steady development of young national team athletes. He also thanked national team coach Jamal Hasan Abdulkarim and fitness coach Ali Kareem Huzar, known as Ali Hawk, for their role in the preparation.