Teenager Najla Imad Lafta sealed a historic gold medal for Iraq after defeating Ukrainian Maryna Lytovchenko 3-1 in the final of the table tennis women's class 6 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Lafta's 3-1 victory over the Tokyo 2020 champion at the South Paris Arena on Saturday was Iraq's first gold of this year's Paralympics and first-ever in the sport.
The 19-year-old's run to the final had been hugely impressive. France's Morgen Caillaud was brushed aside 3-0 in the quarter-finals before Lafta delivered a thrilling 3-1 win against Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Maliak Alieva to seal her place in the final.
Beating Lytovchenko to the top prize on Saturday completed a remarkable journey for Lafta, who lost much of her right leg, left leg at the knee, and right forearm after a sticky bomb attack on her father's car in her hometown of Baqouba, in north-eastern Iraq when she was just three years old.
After struggling with the psychological effects of such a horrific attack, Lafta would find solace in sport. “I love playing table tennis. Whenever I feel upset or going through a tough time, I immediately go upstairs and play with my dad, sisters and brothers, as it helps release the negative energy,” she said in an interview with The National in July.
“For me, sport is a turning point in my life. When I got into sport and saw athletes with disabilities who had lost limbs yet showed determination, strength and patience, it gave me much more self-confidence.”
She took part in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 and won gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games in China after again defeating Lytovchenko. “My ambition is to win the gold medal,” she said in July.
Now, less than two months later, that ambition has been achieved in an international career that has already seen her compete in more than 30 events.
“My advice to all people, especially women, is that my disability has not prevented me from achieving my dream. Strive, and continue to work until you reach your dream,” she said before setting off for Paris.
“Never stop, nothing is impossible. With our determination and resolve, we can achieve what we want and make our dreams a reality. We must not stand idly by.”
