Iran volleyball team readies for Asian championship, with China looming as group decider
Tehran - BORNA - The tournament, which also serves as the first qualifying round for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, runs Sept. 4-13 in Japan, with 12 teams divided into three groups. Iran is in Group B alongside China, India and New Zealand, opening its campaign against New Zealand at 7 a.m. local time on Friday, Sept. 4.
Ahead of the tournament, Roberto Piazza's squad traveled to Russia for a training camp and a series of friendly matches, including the Ufa tournament alongside Russia, Belarus and Cuba. Iran finished as runner-up in that event with four points, losing to Russia and Belarus but defeating Cuba. The team also played two exhibition matches against Russian club champion Dynamo Moscow before heading to Japan.
Friday, Sept. 4, 7 a.m.: Iran vs. New Zealand
New Zealand, ranked 132nd in the world, will enter the match as a heavy underdog. Its best-ever finish at the Asian Championship was seventh place in 1975. Iran, by contrast, has won the tournament four times (2011, 2013, 2019 and 2021) and currently sits 19th in the world rankings. While Piazza's side should have little trouble on paper, the team will need to guard against underestimating its opponent on the court.
Sunday, Sept. 6, 4:30 a.m.: Iran vs. India
India's best-ever result at the tournament was a fourth-place finish in 2005. The team is currently ranked 46th in the world and finished 11th among 17 teams at the last edition, hosted in Urmia. Iran is expected to win its first two matches comfortably and carry six points from those results into its final group match.
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 11:30 a.m.: Iran vs. China
Iran's main rival in the group stage will be Vitor Vitalie Heynen's China, whose coach has openly set the target of winning the tournament. China has competed in the Nations League and hosted the VNL finals for two consecutive years, a run that has kept the team among the world's top eight sides.
Although China sits 37th in the world rankings, the Iran-China clash carries stakes beyond the standings, as the result will determine which team tops the group and advances to the second round.
Iran's roster for the tournament:
Setters: Arshia Behnejad, Ilshan Davoudipour
Opposite hitters: Amin Esmaeilnejad, Ali Hajipour
Outside hitters: Morteza Sharifi, Pouria Hosseinkhanzadeh, Ali Haghparast, Mobin Nasri, Esmaeil Mosafer
Middle blockers: Mohammad Valizadeh, Seyed Issa Naseri, Mohammadnima Bateni
Liberos: Mohammadreza Hazratpour, Hossein Hajikalateh
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