Iran defeated South Korea with a score of 3:1 (25-19, 25-19, 11-25, 25-18) in the AVC U18 Men's Volleyball Championship held on Thursday.
The young Persians, who previously beat the Philippines 3:0, India 3:1, and Bahrain 3:0, advanced to the semi-finals of this competition.
The AVC U18 Men's Volleyball Championship is the sixteenth edition of the Asian U18 Men's Volleyball Championship. This tournament is held every two years and is organized by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) in conjunction with the Chinese Volleyball Association (CVA).
The competition takes place at the Haikou Yuyuanhe Sports Hall in Haikou, China, from July 12 to 18. This tournament serves as a qualifying round for the FIVB U18 Men's Volleyball World Championship.
The top four teams in the tournament qualify to represent the AVC at the 2027 FIVB U18 Men's Volleyball World Championship. China is the reigning champion after defeating Iran 3–2 in the final held in Manama. Iran holds the position of the most decorated team in this championship, having won it seven times, while Japan has three titles.
Iran defeated Germany with a score of 3:2 (25-22, 26-28, 18-25, 25-20, 15-12) in the third round of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) World Championship, which took place on Thursday.
The Melli team is scheduled to play Slovenia on Friday. Additionally, Iran will have a match against Turkey on Sunday.
For Iran, the third round represents more than just four matches; it is an opportunity to demonstrate its progress, strengthen its position among leading global volleyball powers, and maintain hopes for the future. Fans expect the Melli team to meet expectations at crucial moments.
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 successfully kicked off the 2026 Youth Asian Handball Championship by defeating Kuwait 29:27 in its first match, which took place on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Iranian team will play against Korea in Group B. This group also includes Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Qatar, India, and the UAE. Group A consists of China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
The XIX Youth Asian Handball Championship is being held in Chuozhou, China, from July 15 to July 26, 2026. This tournament also serves as a qualifying round for the 2027 IHF Youth World Championship.
The Republic of Korea has a reputation as the most decorated team, having won a total of 13 medals: three gold, seven silver, and three bronze. The host country, China, previously won a single championship title during the second edition in 1990, which was held in Tehran, Iran. The Youth Asian Handball Championship is an official competition organized by the Asian Handball Federation for national men's junior teams of Asia and is held every two years.
