News / Sports

Hatami appointed Iran basketball team head coach

Monday, 16 January 2017 9:59 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 16 January 2017 9:59 AM ]

Iranian basketball coach Mehran Hatami (center)

The Islamic Republic of Iran Basketball Federation (IRIBF) has named Mehran Hatami as the head coach of Iran men's national basketball team to steer the squad at the forthcoming 17th edition of West Asian Basketball Association (WABA) Championship in Jordan.

IRIBF Secretary Ali Tofigh said on Sunday that 52-year-old Hatami will be leading the national Iranian basketball team during the tournament, which will kick off in the Jordanian capital city of Amman on January 29 and will wrap up on February 2.

Tofigh, however, did not disclose whether his federation would continue cooperation with Hatami after the championship or not.

On January 3, IRIBF President Mahmoud Mashhoun appointed Mehran Shahintab as the acting head coach of Iran men's national basketball team. Shahintab later opted to give up the daunting task.

Shahintab’s appointment came only two days after professional German basketball coach Dirk Bauermann wrote in a letter addressed to the Iranian basketball federation that he regrettably had to go back to Germany and not return to Iran.

Bauermann described the reasons as strictly personal, stating that his three-year-old daughter misses him intolerably.

The 59-year-old coach finalized an agreement with IRIBF officials in Tehran in November 2015 to lead Iran basketball team for four years.

He took charge of the German professional basketball club s.Oliver Würzburg after the team severed ties with American Douglas Spradley on December 30 last year. Spradley had been in charge of the club for two and a half years.

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