Iran has always been a competitive basketball team. Due to the country’s impressive basketball program, they regularly qualify for the Asia Cup. According to the FIBA website, they are currently ranked 22nd in the world.
Iran has won the FIBA Asian Championships in 2007, 2009 and 2013. Their other achievements include winning the silver at the FIBA Asia Championship and the Asian Games. They also won four Bronze medals in the FIBA Asia Cup and the Asian Games in 2015, 1951, 2006, and 2010.
I.R Iran Basketball Federation announced its 27-player squad for FIBA World Cup 2023 on June 9, 2023. The roster has now been trimmed down to 15 players. The 15 man squad includes Hamed Haddadi, Arsalan Kazemi, Behnam Yakhchali, Meisam Mirzaei, Mohammad Shahrian, Hasan Aliakbari, Sajjad Pazirofteh, Salar Monji, Sina Vahedi, Peter Grigorian, Matin Aghajanpour, Sajjad Mashayekhi, Navid Rezaeifar, Jalal Aghamiri and Mohammad Ahimi. The final team will be decided before the match depending upon team strategy, requirements, and fitness of the players.
The FIBA World Cup will be hosted by Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia from August 25, 2023 to September 10, 2023.
Iran Schedule and Off-Day in FIBA World Cup 2023
The FIBA World Cup is going to start in less than a month and Iran is placed in Group G with Brazil, Cote d’Ivoire and Spain. Iran will play its first match against Brazil on Saturday, August 26, 2023. They will then get a one-day rest before playing against Cote d'Ivoire on Monday, August 28, 2023. Iran will get another day's rest on August 29, 2023. They will play their last group-stage match against Spain on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, at 7:00 PM. Iran will play all the matches in the Indonesia Arena, Jakarta.
Iran is set to make their appearance in FIBA 2023 with the team studded with players like Hamed Haddadi, Arsalan Kazemi, and Behnam Yakhchali. They have made significant contributions while representing the national team in the past. Iran will miss the services of Samad Nikkhah Bahrami who has excelled for Iran on many occasions and is no longer a part of the current World Cup team. Hamed Haddadi, Arsalan Kazemi, and Behnam Yakhchali are likely to be major contributors, but the team has some young players ready to represent their country on the biggest stage.
FAQs
A. Iran has a professional men's basketball league named Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL) which was founded in 1998.
A. The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia will host the FIBA World Cup. 32 teams will participate in the tournament.
A. Spain won the last FIBA World Cup in 2019, defeating Argentina in the final.
A. Yes, basketball is an Olympic sport.
