The Korean marksman Jin Jong-oh, who had a disappointing Tokyo Olympics, has cried foul that the International Olympic Committee allowed a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to compete and win a gold medal in the 10-metre air pistol event, saying: “How can a terrorist win first place? That’s the most absurd and ridiculous thing.”
In comments reported by the Korea Times, the six-times Olympic medallist added it was “pure nonsense” to allow Javad Foroughi to compete in the Tokyo Games given his membership in a militia of the IRGC, which was labelled a terrorist organisation by the former US president Donald Trump in 2019.
Javed’s though is a fascinating story. While working as a nurse in a hospital, a guard gave him a pistol and taught him how to use it, before practising it in a hall in the basement of the hospital.
In an interview before the Games he said he first tried pistol shooting in a hall located under the building of the hospital he was working in as a nurse. He had never seen a pistol before but, after being instructed on how to use it, was able to score approximately 85 points from 10 shots.
The Iranian paper Javan hailed his performance, calling it: “An unexpected medal … won by a Guards nurse who is at the same time a defender of health and of the shrine.”
The 41-year-old Foroughi set an Olympic record of 244.8 points en route to gold, the field also featuring India's Saurabh Chaudhary who finished seventh after topping the qualifications.
"I am very happy because I'm the first ever Iranian champion in pistol and rifle. Iran had never won a medal, even a bronze medal, in the history of the Olympics and I took gold," Foroughi said in the mixed zone after his triumph.
"I am very happy I could do well as a country's soldier..."
A lesser known aspect of his life is his work as nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, because of which he even tested positive for the virus last year.
"I am a nurse and I work in the hospital, especially during the COVID pandemic. My COVID test was positive last year because I work in the hospital and after recovering I started my training again for the Olympics," he recalled.
He got infected once again after recovering the first time around and had to even give up his training for a month.
"During preparations for the Olympics my test was positive again. I left training for more than one month and then again started training for the Olympics," he said.
The veteran shooter has been in fine form this year, winning gold at the ISSF World Cup that took place in Croatia in June to add to the gold he won at the World Cup in March in Delhi.
As the world continues to battle it out against the virus, he had just one message for all -- follow the health safety protocols advised by medical practitioners.
"As a nurse, I tell everyone if we follow the protocols, nobody will have COVID-19 and the whole world will be healthy.
"I tell all people, as a shooter and as a nurse, to support each other's health and I'm very happy that COVID-19 could not cancel the Olympics," he said.
