Sitting volleyball in Tokyo: A question of class at the Paralympics

Lionel Messi is 93, Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Manuel Neuer only 89. At least in the ranking of the current video game offshoot of the FIFA series by Electronic Arts, which indicates the skill level.

Gambling connoisseurs often only play with the best players, because they are in a class of their own.

That is the most fun, but also ensures that the conditions are almost the same on both sides.

Dominik Albrecht is a VS2, just like Florian Singer, while her team partner Jürgen Schrapp is a VS1.

Her opponent Morteza Mehrzadselakjani is also a VS1.

The four athletes are in different classes.

However, in real life - and with real effects.

They are all sitting volleyball players, but they are not allowed to play together.

At least not all together.

In the first group game against Iran, Singer stayed out in the first set, although he was a regular player before and as such was able to wrest the German championship away from Leverkusen as a series winner with Dresden.

Singer stays on the bench when the game is on a knife edge in the first set.

He doesn't get in in the second set either, when the game slips away from German acceptance and depends more than ever on decisive players with an accomplished attack like him.

A 2.49 meter tall Iranian

Because with VS2 it is only

, i.e. little damaged.

Only two of them are allowed in the squad, only one on the field.

"And currently Dominik Albrecht has the preference because of the better form," says coach Michael Merten.

Albrecht scores a strong 16 points in this match, but that won't be enough.

Germany loses with zero to three sets.

The well-versed targeted information increasingly deprives the Germans of the attack options, so that the Iranians defend themselves well and all attacks are open to them.

There is the strong Sadegh Bigdeli, eleven points, the sophisticated Hossein Golestani, but above all there is: Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, officially the second tallest person on the globe at 2.49 meters.

Sitting he reaches a tee height of up to 2.30 meters.

“It is so extraordinary that we have no comparisons, no anticipation. Something just happens, ”describes external attacker Jürgen Schrapp, who sits across from Mehrzadselakjani several times. "We don't play him often enough, our defense can only react." Mehrzadselakjani is one size above all other players because he has acromegaly, a form of giant stature. Is that unfair? Isn't that the real class difference?

When Mehrzadselakjani strikes, the ball on the German side often flies wildly through the hall and does not come back - point Iran.

“We can't defend it at the moment, but maybe we've learned something,” says Schrapp.

Mehrzadselakjani may tower above everything, but sitting volleyball itself is outstanding for him. “I used to be very depressed.

At the time, I was afraid to go outside because of how I looked.

I felt like I was in prison.

Sitting volley has changed my life, ”says the exceptional athlete.

"He still needs time"

Mehrzadselakjani only comes online very late - due to an Iranian TV show. There he appears, because this features people with unusual everyday lives or talents. Sitting volleyball coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani happened to see the program - and picked up the phone. "It is my duty as a trainer to discover and promote talent," said Rezaeigarkani, commenting on his stroke of luck. "But it is far from complete, it still needs time."