Iran-Iraq 🌏 earthquake: Olympic champion auctions gold medal for victims

An Iranian weightlifter has put his Rio 2016 gold medal up for auction to raise money for the victims of last week's deadly 7.3-magnitude earthquake near the Iran-Iraq border. 

Kianoush Rostami, 26, announced the news on his Instagram page. 
More than 400 people were killed and close to 8,000 injured in the quake. 

The western Kermanshah province is the worst-affected area, with hundreds of homes destroyed and some reside
nts sleeping outdoors in the cold. 
Rostami, himself from Kermanshah, said he was "taking a step, however small" to help those devastated by the tremor. "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 yesterday, adding that he had not slept since the incident. 

"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.

UCJ, UNILORIN.