The Iranian men's sitting volleyball team has secured participation in the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles after defeating Kazakhstan in the semifinals of the 2026 Sitting Volleyball World Championship.
On Thursday, the Iranian team achieved a convincing victory over Kazakhstan, winning all three sets with scores of 25-18, 25-10, and 25-23. This victory allowed Iran to secure one of the top two spots and guarantee its place in the upcoming Paralympic Games.
Previously, the Melli team had defeated Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Japan, Croatia, and the USA. On Friday, Iran will play in the final match against the winners of the matches between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brazil.
The World Championship is held at the World ParaVolley Development Center and includes 16 men's and 16 women's teams. This tournament is the first opportunity for teams to qualify for the LA28 Paralympic Games, with the champions among men and women receiving direct spots in the competition.
At the 2026 Sitting Volleyball World Championship, the Iranian men's national team secured its fifth victory by defeating the USA team in three consecutive sets with scores of 25-21, 25-15, and 25-16 on Wednesday.
The Iranian team previously defeated Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Japan, and Croatia. On Thursday, Iran will play against Kazakhstan in the tournament semi-finals.
Earlier that day, the women's team lost to Canada with a score of 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-22) and consequently failed to qualify for the Four Final. The World Championship is being held at the World ParaVolley Development Centre and includes 16 men's and 16 women's teams.
This tournament is the first opportunity for teams to secure qualification for the LA28 Paralympic Games, as the champions among men and women receive direct spots in the competition.
Iran has determined its opponents for the 11th Asian Handball Federation (AHF) U19 Handball Championship. The draw ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Jordan Handball Federation (JHF) in Princess Sumaya Hall in Amman, according to AHF regulations for conducting and organizing the competition.
The championship, which will now take place from August 20 to 31, 2026, in Amman, Jordan, will be organized by the Jordan Handball Federation after being moved from the originally planned host city. Furthermore, this tournament will serve as the Asian qualifying round for the 12th U19 World Handball Championship of the International Handball Federation (IHF).
The four best teams will secure participation in the world championship in 2027. A total of eleven teams participated in the tournament, which were divided into two preliminary groups.
Group A includes Japan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Chinese Taipei. Group B features South Korea, Kuwait, Iran, Jordan, Syria, and India.
The Iranian men's national sitting volleyball team demonstrated an impressive start to its preparation for the World Championship by defeating Egypt in a friendly match held the day before the tournament in China.
The Iranian team confidently beat Egypt with a score of 3:0, winning in sets 25-16, 25-19, and 25-14.
The 2026 Sitting Volleyball World Championship will take place in Hangzhou, China, from July 10 to July 17. Iran will begin its campaign against Poland on Friday; the match is scheduled for 9:00 local time.
Before the main tournament begins, Iran will play two more preparatory matches against Brazil and Germany to fine-tune its preparation for the global competition. Meanwhile, the Iranian women's national sitting volleyball team is also preparing to fly to Hangzhou on Wednesday to participate in the World Championship.
