Iran national under-23 wheelchair basketball team has finished first at the Asia-Oceania qualifying tournament for the 2017 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Men's Under-23 World Championship in Canada, following a well-earned win over the Japanese side.
On Saturday afternoon, the Iranian physically-challenged sportsmen edge past the East Asians 67-51 in a title match staged in the Thai capital city of Bangkok.
Iranian Ambassador to Thailand Mohsen Mohammadi, Iranian Cultural Attaché to Thailand Mohammad Reza Zainali and dozens of Iranian expatriates were cheering on the Iranian team throughout the game.
The Iranian envoy decorated the Iranian athletes during the medal award ceremony.
Iran national under-23 wheelchair basketball team had Amir Reza Ahmadi, Mehdi Mazloum, Mehdi Mandegar, Ali Karimi, Mojtaba Kamali, Mohammad Sayyari, Homayoun Asgari, Mehdi Abbasi, Payman Mizan, Hassan Ali Ka’abi, Seyyed Mehdi Mousavi and Reza Eyvazi in its line-up during the tournament in Thailand.
Hassan Palar led the team as head coach and Amir Mandegarfard was the outfit’s manager.
Six countries, namely Australia, China, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan and Thailand, took part in the Asia-Oceania qualifying tournament for the IWBF Under-23 World Championship.
Australia, Iran and Japan will represent the Asia-Oceania zone at the world championship.
The IWBF Under-23 World Championship, which is held every four years, will be in its sixth edition.
The tournament will take place between June 8 and 16 at the Mattamy Athletic Center in the Canadian city of Toronto.
The IWBF is the international governing body responsible for wheelchair basketball. It is a non-profit organization, whose purpose is to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to play the game of wheelchair basketball.