Bosnia and Herzegovina won two silver medals at the recently concluded Paralympic Games in Paris. In Sarajevo, a celebration was held for para-swimmer Ismail Barlov, who won silver, and the national sitting volleyball team, who also took home silver medals. The emotional event saw a large crowd of Sarajevo citizens warmly welcoming the athletes with thunderous applause.

The “golden” sitting volleyball team, who have made the country proud for years with numerous medals and victories, were presented, along with the “golden” Ismail Barlov, who accomplished what many thought was impossible.

“I want to first thank this young boy who added gold to our silver, which makes this medal so special,” said Ifet Mahmutovic, coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national sitting volleyball team.

He also thanked everyone who helped the team reach this competition, those who organized the celebration, and everyone who supported them.

Sabahudin Delalic, captain of the sitting volleyball team, said this was his seventh Olympic medal, and they celebrated it as if it were their first.

“To be honest, Ismail took us to the finals. If it weren't for him, we might have lost to Germany. He will continue this story; we've reached the top, and he will go further to become a great champion,” said Delalic.

Ismail Barlov’s coach, Amel Kapo, expressed how proud he was of all the members of the PKD Spid club and Ismail Barlov.

“You can't put into words how much sweat, hard work, and kilometers of swimming Ismail has put in to be where he is today. He didn’t have a vacation, swimming those kilometers to be here, and tomorrow he's going back to school,” Kapo said.

He also shared an anecdote with a doctor who had predicted Ismail's great success and added, “Doctor, thank you for believing in us even when we didn’t!”

The biggest thanks were given to Barlov’s parents, who dedicated their lives to ensure that Ismail could both go to school and train regularly.