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TEHRAN \u2013 Hadi Rezaei, head coach of Iran\u2019s national sitting volleyball team, says the team are determined to win the gold medal at the 2026 Para Volley World Championships, an event that also serves as a qualification pathway for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s national sitting volleyball team are currently holding a training camp at the Federation of Sports for the Disabled. A multi-nation tournament that was scheduled to take place next week in Mashhad, however, has been canceled due to the absence of visiting teams.<\/p>\n
Russia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, along with Iran\u2019s A and B national teams, were expected to participate, but the competition was ultimately called off.<\/p>\n
\u201cHosting this tournament would have been a very good opportunity for our team,\u201d Rezaei told Tehran Times<\/em> in an exclusive interview. \u201cNevertheless, due to the withdrawal of some teams, it will not take place. But we must not stop our preparation process. Training must continue, and this is currently being done with both the A and B teams present at the Federation.\u201d<\/p>\n Rezaei explained that Iran\u2019s B team are intended to act as a support system for the main squad, but questioned expectations placed upon the younger side.<\/p>\n \u201cTeam B are supposed to support Team A. The Federation officials expect this team to win a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, but in my view, that is not realistic,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they lower their expectations and say we are sending a young team and results are not the priority, that is fine. But forming a Team B while simultaneously expecting a gold medal is simply not possible.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Rezaei, only a small number of players from the B team will eventually be promoted to the senior squad.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom Team B, two or three players will be added to Team A. Next July, we will compete in the World Championships in China, which also serve as a qualification event for the 2028 Paralympic Games,\u201d he said. \u201cThis competition is extremely important, and we must send a team capable of securing Iran\u2019s Paralympic qualification without taking unnecessary risks.\u201d<\/p>\n Rezaei also emphasized the need for a more structured and professional approach to talent identification in Paralympic sports.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we truly want to focus on talent identification, it must be done correctly and systematically,\u201d he said. \u201cAthletes suited for sitting volleyball must be identified from the very beginning and gradually developed through competitions in this discipline. This process requires proper infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTalent identification in sitting volleyball, athletics, or powerlifting is different from simply selecting volunteer athletes for Paralympic sports. Unfortunately, this latter approach is often what is referred to as \u2018talent identification\u2019 in our country,\u201d Rezaei concluded.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n