Iran suffered a 31:24 defeat against Bahrain on Friday, which deprived the team of the opportunity to qualify for the 2027 IHF Youth World Championship.
Previously, the Iranian national team won against Kuwait, Qatar, and India. However, they lost to South Korea and Japan, and drew with the UAE in Group B.
Now Iran will play a match against Chinese Taipei for places fifth to eighth. This tournament, which is the 19th Asian Youth Handball Championship, is taking place in the city of Chuzhou, China, from July 15 to July 26, 2026. It serves as a qualifying round for the 2027 IHF Youth World Championship.
The Republic of Korea holds the status of the most decorated team, having won a total of 13 medals: three gold, seven silver, and three bronze. The host country, China, won its only championship title during the second edition in 1990, which was held in Tehran, Iran. The Asian Youth Handball Championship is an official competition organized by the Asian Handball Federation for national youth teams of Asia and is held every two years.
Iran suffered a 3-0 defeat against Slovenia (27-25, 25-19, 26-24) in the third round of the 2026 VNL Volleyball World Championship on Friday evening.
The Melli team is scheduled to play Turkey on Sunday. Earlier, Iran started its campaign with a 3-1 loss to Ukraine but managed to win against Germany with a score of 3-2.
For Iran, the third round is of great importance as it presents an opportunity to demonstrate its progress, strengthen its position among leading world 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.
