For months, Delalic and his European Championship teammates have been training at least four days a week in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They have been focusing on drills and maintaining peak fitness in preparation for the Paralympics, which will be held in Paris from Wednesday 28 August to Sunday 8 September.

"Paris is really important for us because we want to regain the title. We know we can do it," said the 52-year-old captain. "Everyone fears us," Delalic told AFP ahead of the Paris Paralympics. "Even the Iranians," he added with a smile. Bosnia last won gold in men's sitting volleyball at London 2012, beating Iran, the team to beat at these 17th Paralympic Games.

Over the course of his career, Delalic has become a legend in the sport, helping Bosnia win 27 medals in international competition, including two Paralympic golds, eleven European Championships and three World Championships.

"People always expect us to come back with gold. When we come back with silver, they say, 'Why isn't it gold?' Delalic remarked. Delalic's success on the pitch followed an early tragedy after he was injured during the brutal inter-ethnic war in Bosnia in the 1990s, amid the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia, which left nearly 100,000 people dead.

During the siege of Sarajevo in late 1992, Delalic was hit by tank fire, resulting in the partial amputation of his right leg. After his injury, he discovered sitting volleyball, a sport that "gave him everything". There are now many sitting volleyball clubs in Bosnia, including two in the capital, Sarajevo: Fantomi and Spid, which regularly win European titles.

For coach Ifet Mahmutovic, the success of the Bosnian national team is down to the dedication and tenacity of the players. "We are a tough bunch. If it's not gold, it's as if they haven't won anything," he said.

Despite the passage of more than three decades, the team heading to Paris still includes many athletes who were injured in the war or later affected by landmines (1,150 people have been injured and 624 killed in mine accidents in Bosnia since the war).

Ermin Jusufovic, 43, was injured by a mine a few days before his 16th birthday, more than a year after the war ended. Almost 25 years on, he has been named MVP of the 2022 World Cup tournament. "We are going to Paris with big ambitions. We are very focused and motivated," he said.

Despite their confidence, the competition will be tough. Iran remain Bosnia's main rivals, having won seven gold and two silver medals in sitting volleyball, and are heavy favourites for gold. "It is not a shame to lose to Iran, but we will do everything we can. With a bit of luck and courage we will try to surprise them," said veteran defender Ismet Godinjak, 51.