Paralympic champion Najla Imad wins gold in Finland

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Helsinki

Iraqi Paralympic champion Najla Imad won gold at the ITTF World Para Future Lahti 2026 in Finland, adding another title to her international record.

Naseem Al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Para Table Tennis Federation delegation, told Shafaq News that the victory followed preparations led by coach Haider Salim and supported by the federation’s technical and administrative teams.

Al-Shammari said the result was further evidence of Imad’s standing among the world’s leading para table tennis players and a boost ahead of upcoming competitions.

Imad made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games at age 19, claiming Iraq’s first Paralympic medal in para table tennis with a 3-1 victory over Tokyo 2020 champion Maryna Lytovchenko in the women’s Class 6 singles final.

She began playing at 10 and won her first local tournament in Baghdad six months later. Her international career has included the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and a gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games before her triumph in Paris.