The Iranian basketball players had on Wednesday gained another victory with a score of 86 to 48 in a game with Japan.
Iran hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics at the FIBA Asia Championship are carried by several players with title-winning experience.
Coach Dirk Bauermann has Hamed Haddadi, Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Mahdi Kamrani, Hamed Afagh and Oshin Sahakian in his squad that competes in Changsha, China, from 23 September-3 October. Each has won titles for Iran at past FIBA Asia Championships. Last year, each of the players competed for Iran at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Granada, Spain.
As they set out to successfully the title they won in 2013, Iran's opponents in Changsha will be Japan, Malaysia and India in Group A. Iran have been in fine fettle of late, winning the 37th William Jones Cup that was staged in Chinese Taipei. One of the most important players in the Iran set-up the past several years has been Haddadi. He excelled at last year's World Cup.
Another player who figures prominently for the Iranians is Mohammad Jamshidi, the team's second leading scorer last year when the team won the FIBA Asia Cup.
The stakes are very high at the FIBA Asia Championship. The winner will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The teams that come in second, third and fourth will earn tickets to one of the three FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).
Iran final roster for 2015 FIBA Asia Championship: Hamed Afagh, Farid Aslani, Saeid Davarpanah, Mohammad Hassanzadeh, Hamed Hadadi, Mohammad Jamshidi, Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Asghar Kardoust, Mahdi Kamrani, Sajjad Mashayekhi, Oshin Sahakian and Behnam Yakhchali Dehkordi.
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Tehran, Sept 24, IRNA – Iran's National Basketball Team defeated India 88 to 66 in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship on Thursday.
