News / Sports

Iranian female v-ballers thrash Nepal in 2018 FIVB Championship qualifier

Sunday, 29 January 2017 11:24 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 29 January 2017 12:12 PM ]

The Iran women's national volleyball team (Photo by the Islamic Republic of Iran Volleyball Federation)

Iranian female volleyball players have celebrated their first win at the 2018 Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Women’s World Volleyball Championship Qualification Tournament for the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Central Zone, pummeling the Nepalese squad.

The Iran women's national volleyball team, comprising Soudabeh Bagherpour, Shabnam Alikhani, Maedeh Borhani, captain Zeinab Giveh, Farnoosh Sheikhi and Negar Kianin in its initial lineup, blanked Nepal 3-0 (25-12, 25-12 and 25-11) in its opening game of the tournament in the capital and most populous city of the Republic of Maldives, Malé, on Saturday.

“Our players went to great lengths during the encounter against Nepal, and subsequently brought the opposite side’s players under control. The Iran women's national volleyball team exhibited a flawless performance and tremendously defeated their opponents in three consecutive sets,” the Iranian outfit’s coach Fatemeh Abdollahi said after the game.

She added, “Nepal was in good form. Their control could have been difficult if our players had allowed them the chance to go ahead with their plans on the court. We aim to capture the second win and progress to the next round of the FIVB Women’s World Volleyball Championship Qualification Tournament at the end of the match against the Maldives.”

The Iran women's national volleyball team’s coach Fatemeh Abdollahi

Iran will play against the hosts in its second fixture of the qualification tournament for the FIVB Women’s World Championship on Sunday.

The 2018 FIVB Women’s World Volleyball Championship Qualification Tournament for the AVC Central Zone started in Malé, the Maldives, on January 27, and will finish on January 29, 2017.

Only the top team in this competition will qualify for the next round due to take place later this year.

The 2018 World Women's Volleyball Championship will be held from September 30 to October 21, 2018, in Japan.

Japan in addition to the United States and Brazil have so far claimed berths in the World Championship as the host country as well as 2014 and 2015 title-winners respectively.

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