Iranian Men's Handball Team Advances to Quarterfinals of Asian Games 2026

Iran defeated Australia with a score of 3:1 (25-21, 17-25, 25-17, 25-22) in the semi-final of the AVC 2026 Continental Men's Volleyball League Championship, which took place on Saturday in Tehran.

In the match, Ali Hajipur and Pouria Hosseinkhanzade scored 20 points for Iran, while Lorenzo Pop managed 18 points for the Australian team.

The Iranian team will play in the final on Sunday against the winners of the match between Japan and South Korea.

Winning the tournament will secure the team a direct quota spot for the 2028 Olympic Games, and the top three teams will receive qualification spots for the FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship in 2027.

The Iranian national basketball team managed to recover after their loss in the first match against Qatar, defeating Taipei 72:69 during the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday.

The 'Melli' team entered the game under pressure following an unexpected 59:53 defeat in their debut match in Group B, but the players demonstrated strong resistance and great composure throughout the competition.

Mohammad Jamshidi played a decisive role in Iran's success, leading the team with 18 points and providing valuable points during the most tense moments of the game.

For his part, Chen Yin-chun scored 29 points for Taipei.

This victory significantly boosted Iran's confidence during their participation in the Asian Games. The result against Taipei was a timely response after the disappointment of the match against Qatar and maintained Iran's hopes for deep advancement in the tournament.

Under Jamshidi's leadership, Iran will now focus on maintaining this momentum in the next match, scheduled for Sunday against Jordan.

Iran won against Taipei in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Continental Men's Volleyball Championship. The match took place in Tehran on Friday, with a final score of 3:1 (25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 25-18).

In the match, Iran showed strong play, with Pouria Hosseinkhanzadeh contributing 425 points to the team. From Taipei's side, Yu-Chen Chang scored 18 points.

The victory guarantees Iran's advancement to the semi-finals, where the team will face Australia on Saturday. Furthermore, the tournament winner will secure a direct spot in the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the three teams that finish in the prize positions will qualify for the FIVB Volleyball World Championship 2027.