An Iranian inventor and national taekwondo athlete bagged a gold medal at the 25th Malaysia International Young Inventors Olympiad (MIYIO) and dedicated it to the martyred schoolchildren of Minab.
Leila Keshavarzi walked onto the stage carrying a pink backpack as she received her award, a remarkable scene that captured the attention of the audience and became one of the most memorable moments of the international competition.
Competing against 35 teams from across the globe, Keshavarzi secured the gold medal in the Asian youth category.
In an interview with IRIB News Agency from Kuala Lumpur, she said one of her three presented projects had been named after the "Martyrs of Minab School."
"Although these martyrs are no longer among us, their message of peace can remain eternal and everlasting," Keshavarzi said, referring to 168 school children martyred in the American-Israeli missile strikes in Minab.
🔴 Minab Children Under Fire: A Narrative of American-Zionist War Crimes in the Heart of Iran
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) March 27, 2026
Follow https://t.co/B3zXG74hnU pic.twitter.com/Tpi5wKDGWc
The Shajarat al-Tayyeba School in Minab was attacked in the early hours of the US and Zionist regime's war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28.
Keshavarzi's tribute – symbolized by the pink backpack she carried on stage – has since resonated widely, turning a moment of personal achievement into a powerful reminder of lives cut short by the brutal and unprovoked war of aggression.
The Minab tragedy has caught the imagination of people worldwide in the past 45 days and brought to light the horrendous war crimes of the US-Israeli war machine.