Ali Rahimi Kazerouni, captain of the Iranian men's national handball team, believes that the national team is capable of competing for a medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, despite a difficult group stage and the absence of several players based abroad.
Speaking to journalists ahead of Iran's departure for a training camp in Serbia, Rahimi Kazerouni noted that the team has completed its third training camp and highly praised the new head coach Nenad Kljaić for introducing fresh concepts into the squad.
The captain stated: 'We have almost gone through a generational change in the national team, and I hope we can achieve the best possible result at the Asian Games in Nagoya.' He added that the team's physical conditioning is developing successfully, and tactical sessions have also proven productive.
Rahimi Kazerouni emphasized: 'Strength and endurance training are going well, and the tactical camps were also good. The Asian Games draw is difficult, but I hope we can show our best game in Nagoya. We will not enter the competition without a fight.'
The Iranian captain also acknowledged that the absence of foreign players could significantly affect the team's campaign. According to Rahimi Kazerouni, players located abroad bring valuable international experience and occupy important positions in the national team.
He noted: 'They have more experience, and their absence in Nagoya will complicate the situation since they are key players. I hope we can minimize the impact of their absence.'
The men's handball tournament at the 2026 Asian Games will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to 28. Iran has been placed in Group B alongside South Korea, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan.
Jalil Khouhpaiyazadeh, head of the Iranian Disabled Sports Federation, stated that the 2026 Asian Para Games are a matter of national pride, and Iran intends to defend its silver medal won at the Hangzhou Games.
These statements were made by Khouhpaiyazadeh during a press conference on Monday, where he presented the latest achievements of the country's para-athletes and outlined the federation's plans for the Nagoya Games.
He emphasized that despite a difficult year caused by the 40-day war, the federation continued to work on creating a comprehensive program for the upcoming competitions. Khouhpaiyazadeh noted that despite the circumstances, they made every effort to develop a structured plan for the Asian Para Games.
The federation head highlighted talent development as a key element in maintaining Iran's success in parasports. He explained that creating a strong pipeline of athletes is critical for repeating achievements, and many promising athletes were identified last year and subsequently directed to coaches.
Despite challenging conditions, Iran's seated volleyball teams continued to participate in international competitions. The men's team won a world title last month, and the women's team reached the top eight for the first time.
Khouhpaiyazadeh noted that these results were significant to the global community because they were achieved under wartime conditions, demonstrating that outstanding success is possible even in the most difficult circumstances.
Looking beyond Nagoya, Khouhpaiyazadeh announced that Iran also plans to participate in the Global Virtus Games in 2027, which will take place at the end of November. The federation is currently preparing to send athletes in six sports: swimming, indoor rowing, taekwondo, athletics, table tennis, and badminton.
