Tehran - BORNA - Iran’s national water polo team narrowly missed out on gold after a dramatic final against China at the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships, losing 5–4 in penalties following an intense 11–11 draw in regular time.

The match, held on Thursday in Ahmedabad, India, saw both teams deliver a thrilling performance across four quarters, finishing level and forcing the game into a penalty shootout.

In the initial round of penalties, both sides scored four times from five attempts, leaving the score tied at 4–4. The contest then proceeded to sudden death, where China successfully converted its first shot while Iran missed its attempt, sealing the title for the Chinese side and leaving Iran with the silver medal.

Iran had entered the final with an unbeaten record in the tournament. The team defeated China 14–9 in their opening match, before overcoming Hong Kong and Uzbekistan to top Group A and advance to the knockout stage.

In the quarterfinals, Iran overpowered Thailand 21–6, and in a spectacular semifinal performance, the Iranian squad triumphed 19–18 over Japan, breaking a long-standing jinx to reach the final.

Despite falling short of the gold, Iran’s consistent performance throughout the tournament reaffirmed its position among Asia’s elite water polo nations. Historically, Iran has earned bronze medals at the 1984 and 1995 Asian Championships, as well as silver in the 2023 edition. The team also boasts a gold medal from the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran and a bronze from the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

Team Roster:

Hamed Karimi, Amirhossein Amirian, Amirreza Jalilipour, Mehdi Barzegari, Omid Aghaei Karim, Farbod Behzadsabouri, Ashkan Iranpour, Farbod Barghaei, Amin Ghooydel, Alireza Mehri, Arman Shams, Mersad Adham, Mehdi Yazdankhah, Mehrab Golestani Rad, and Erfan Sadrnia.

Head Coach: Mehdi Panam-Tash

Technical Director: Dayan Milakovic

Coach: Amirhoshang Hamrahi

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