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Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh, who recently bagged the Guinness World Record for the world’s shortest man, stands at 2 feet 1.6 inches in height. The 20-year-old World Record holder from Iran broke the previous record, which was held by Colombia's Edward Nino Hernandez, who is 2.7 inches.
Afshin was born in 2002 in a remote village in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province. He speaks Persian and Kurdish. Currently, he weighs 14.3 pounds.
The youngster's father, Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh, said that Afshin couldn’t attend school due to his "physical weakness." As per Guinness World Records, he said:
"Continuing treatment and my son's physical weakness are the main reasons why he stopped studying.”
Afshin told Guinness World Records that it is his dream to be able to help his parents.
The current shortest man in the world was measured thrice by Guinness World Records
Afshin was taken to Dubai, where the Guinness World Records office arranged for his measurements to be taken. In the course of 24 hours, Afshin’s measurements were taken three times.
He also fulfilled his dream of visiting Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Referring to his latest title as the shortest man in the world, Afshin said:
“Just thinking about being part of the Guinness World Records family is like a dream. I struggle to believe it sometimes. I like the attention I get from people. It makes me feel special.”
Growing up, Afshin's height restricted him from participating in activities others his age could enjoy. In fact, he only recently learned to write his name and also mastered the skills of using a smartphone. However, he does admit that the weight of such phones still gets a little heavy for him to carry for hours on end.
According to reports, Afshin’s father works in construction. The family's financial situation has been an obstacle in the way of his medication and treatment. His parents also said that he's unable to find a job suitable for him in his hometown. However, with his newfound record-breaking fame, Afshin hopes that he will be able to help his parents in terms of financial aid.
The social media presence of the world's shortest man
Afshin now has an official Instagram account with over 43k followers.
On Friday, December 16, 2022, he shared a video online to celebrate his new title as the record holder for the World's shortest man. He can be seen striking stylish poses for the camera and dancing. His Instagram account features himself and a close friend who he often collaborates with for his videos.
Afshin doesn’t compromise when it comes to fashion. The title-holder of the world's shortest man prefers to wear suits. However, it’s hard for him to find suits his size other than in the kids’ section. So, Afshin gets his clothes tailor-made.
He also shared his interest in the much-loved cartoon Tom & Jerry and mentioned he watches football in his leisure time. He stated that he supports Iran’s Esteghlal Football Club.
After receiving his certificate from Guinness World Records, Afshin said:
"It is like you wake up the next day and the entire world now knows who you are. That’s magical.”
He expressed that just the thought of being a part of the World Records family feels like a dream to him as it sometimes appears unbelievable.
