The Iranian national basketball team has begun preparations for the Asian Games 2026, holding its first training session in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, after arriving in Japan.
The Iranian team arrived in Nagoya on Saturday and participated in the first training session on Sunday under the guidance of head coach Sotirius Manolopoulos. The athletes followed the approved preparation program ahead of the start of the basketball tournament at the Asian Games 2026.
The basketball competition at the Asian Games 2026 will take place at the Aichi International Arena. Iran has been placed in a group with Qatar, Taipei (Chinese Taipei), and Jordan.
According to the schedule, Iran will play against Qatar on Thursday, September 10; against Chinese Taipei on Saturday, September 12; and against Jordan on Sunday, September 13. The basketball tournament at the Asian Games is scheduled from September 10 to September 20, and Iran aims to show strong play and contend for a spot on the podium.
Before the Asian Games in Nagoya, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) published its latest FIBA Men's World Rankings. According to this ranking, Iran dropped two positions compared to the previous edition and now ranks 28th in the world. Nevertheless, the Iranian team maintains fourth place among teams from Asia and Oceania.
The leaders of the world rankings are the United States, Germany, and France, respectively. Now, Iran intends to transform its training sessions in Nagoya into real results on the court, starting with the group stage match against Qatar.