News / Sports

Igor Kolaković appointed Iran’s volleyball team coach

Monday, 06 February 2017 8:25 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 06 February 2017 8:25 AM ]

Montenegrin volleyball coach Igor Kolaković

Montenegrin volleyball coach Igor Kolaković has been named as the new head coach of Iran men's national volleyball team months after the Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation (IRIVF) officials were looking for a world-class option to replace Raul Lucio Lozano.

During an over three-hour-long meeting among members of the IRIVF Presiding Board in Tehran on Sunday evening, 51-year-old Kolaković was picked as the favorite to steer the national Iranian volleyball team on a two-year contract with an option of two more years.

Former Bulgarian volleyball player and head coach Radostin Stoychev was also a candidate to take charge of the Iranian volleyball squad.

“IRIVF’s primary objective is to dispatch a decent and strong team to Tokyo 2020 Olympics [in Japan]. The consensus of opinion among members of the IRIVF Presiding Board was that Kolaković can well get on with such a task,” President of the Iranian volleyball federation, Mohammad Reza Davarzani, said.

He added the results that Kolaković had produced with Serbian volleyball clubs and the Serbia men's national volleyball team over the past 10 years set out the reason for his election.

Davarzani further noted that Iranian and foreign assistants will help the Montenegrin volleyball coach accomplish his duties.

As the coach of the Serbian national volleyball team, Kolaković managed to win two bronze medals at the 2007 and 2013 editions of the European Championship, the bronze medal of the 2010 World Cup, two silvers in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) World League plus a bronze medal in the 2010 World League.

The IRIVF refused to renew the contract of Iran national volleyball team coach Lozano after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Iran finished fifth in the games under the Argentine’s tutelage.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk