Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh, who was born in a remote village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province in Iran, has today been officially recorded as the world’s ‘shortest man’ with a height of 65.24 cm (2ft 1.68in).
The 20-year-old is described as ‘very outgoing and kind’, and ‘very popular’ with the locals in his village. Both his parents, as well as the community he lives in, call him by the name ‘Mohammed’.
“Just thinking about being part of the Guinness World Records family is like a dream. I struggle to believe it sometimes. It is like you wake up the next day and the entire world now knows who you are. That’s magical,” he said.“I like the attention I get from people. It makes me feel special.”
The previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS shortest man was Edward Niño Hernandez, who was born on 10 May 1986 in Bogotá, Colombia. He measured 72.1 cm (2ft 4.38in) tall, as verified in 2020.
Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief, along with Official Adjudicator Kanzy El Defrawy were in attendance on the day of measurement in the GWR Dubai office along with Dr Bindu Devarajan, General Practitioner - Ahalia Group. Measurements were taken three times on the day of verification, resulting in the accurate record height.
Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief at Guinness World Records said: “It's been a privilege to meet with Afshin and his family and to confirm him as the new world's shortest-living adult man.
“At just 65.24 cm, he not only comfortably beats the existing record but he's also one of the shortest men to ever hold this title. This is one of those fundamental human-body superlatives, and receiving this official confirmation is a potentially life-changing moment in this charming young man's life.
“Judging by the enthusiasm he's shown during his visit to Dubai, he's more than ready to enjoy his new-found celebrity status and become a household name. He's already ticked one item off his bucket list: to visit the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.”
Clothes are always a struggle for people with short stature. While you might think it is more difficult for people with extreme heights to find clothes, it seems to be a similar struggle for Afshin, as the clothes that fits his body are the same size as those of a three-year-old child, but the designs do not usually fit his age anymore.
Afshin doesn’t have any pets at home, but he prefers cats to dogs. He was born with body weight of 700 grams (1.5 pounds) and has grown to be almost 6.5 kg (14.3 pounds), so a grown cat weighs almost the same as him.
“My dream is to be able to help my parents. This global recognition might help me achieve my dream,” he added.
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