Kianoush Rostami was teaming up with several other athletes for supporting

Kianoush Rostami helped Iran-Iraq earthquake victims

Kianoush Rostami put his gold medal up for auction to raise money

Iran’s Olympic weightlifting champion Kianoush Rostami put his gold medal up for auction to raise money for the victims of the earthquake which left at least 452 people dead in Iran and Iraq in 2017.

The 7.3-magnitude quake that struck in the remote border area between Iran and Iraq left thousands of people injured hundreds of villages destroyed.

The western Kermanshah province is the worst-affected area, with hundreds of homes destroyed and some residents sleeping outdoors in the cold.

The earthquake, the deadliest of the year, was felt as far away as Turkey and Pakistan.

Rostami, who won gold at the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016, says the disaster has left him desperate to help those affected.

“I consider it my duty to take a step, however small, to help my beloved fellow countrymen who have suffered as a result of the quake,” he said.

“I am returning my Rio 2016 Olympics gold medal – which actually belongs to them – to my people,” he wrote in a widely-shared Instagram post, adding that he didn’t sleep much.

“I will put my medal up for auction. All the proceedings will go to those hit by the earthquake.”

Rostami, who is of Kurdish ethnicity, also said he was teaming up with several other athletes to collect aid for the victims, posting a picture of himself in front of duvets, warm clothes, and water bottles.

Iran sits on a major fault line between the Arabian and Eurasian plates and has experienced a number of earthquakes in the past.

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