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Asian Para Games: Iran's 'dream team' inches away from clinching sitting volleyball gold

Back in July, Iran won the men’s Sitting Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands after beating arch-rival Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, October 11, 2018

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Asian Para Games: Iran's 'dream team' inches away from clinching sitting volleyball gold Hands up: The Iran and Iraq men’s teams faced each other in sitting volleyball semifinal match at the Tennis Indoor hall in Senayan on Wednesday. Iran won 25-8, 25-12, 25-19. (INAPGOC/Ardy Alvez)

T

he Islamic Republic of Iran men’s sitting volleyball team is often dubbed the “dream team” as it is currently the best team in the world, having proved its dominance in the sport by winning numerous international championships.

Back in July, Iran won the men’s Sitting Volleyball World Championships in the Netherlands after beating arch-rival Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The achievement strengthens the team’s position as the world’s best after winning gold at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At the 2018 Asian Para Games, the team confidently cruised to the final, after beating Iraq 25-8, 25-12, 25-19, in the semifinals on Wednesday. The game, held at Tennis Indoor Senayan, was very lively with the 12 athletes from both teams striving to break their opponents’ defense.

Iraq finally succumbed to Iran during the 57-minute game as the team seemed to be more experienced, with its players coordinating with each other so well.

Iran is set to compete against Asian powerhouse China in the final.

One of the Iran team’s coaches, Alireza Moameri, said the team was very confident it could clinch gold as the players were well prepared for the event.

Calling it a long-term program, Iran has intensively trained over the past three years to compete in various championships leading to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Alireza said. The team hoped it could be the champion in the Asian Para Games and later the Paralympics, he added.

He said China had a strong team. However, they had analyzed the Chinese players’ playing style, the way they always analyzed every opponent, he said.

“We know what we have to do to beat them in the final,” Moameri said during a press session after the match.

The Iran team had accomplished so much in the past few years because it consisted of great players, Moameri said.

Five players in the team are listed as the world’s best players. They are team captain Davood Alipourian, Ramezan Salehi Hajikolaei, Sadegh Bigdeli, Isa Zirahi and Morteza Mehrzad.

“Our players are strong enough mentally and physically to play sitting volleyball,” he said.

Mehrzad with his towering presence is the team’s lucky charm. At a height of 2.46 meters, Morteza is the tallest man in Iran and the tallest athlete in the history of the Paralympics.

The 31-year old athlete was diagnosed with acromegaly, a condition resulting from excessive growth hormone. While he was 15, a bicycle accident stopped his right leg from growing, making it six inches shorter than the left. His condition makes it difficult for him to walk. 

Despite the adversity, his posture has greatly helped the team since he joined three years ago.

His killer serve helped Iran to win the 2016 Paralympic final.

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