Our main goal is securing a Paralympic berth: Hadi Rezaei

TEHRAN – Hadi Rezaei, technical director of Iran’s national sitting volleyball teams, says the primary objective at the 2026 Sitting Volleyball World Championships in China is to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

Iran’s men’s team will begin their campaign on July 10, facing Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Japan in the group stage.

The Iranian women’s team have been drawn alongside Rwanda, Kenya, and hosts China.

Speaking exclusively to the Vatan News, Rezaei stressed that although the World Championships are a prestigious event, securing Paralympic qualification remains the team’s top priority.

“While we are competing in the World Championships, our main objective is to earn a place at the Los Angeles Paralympic Games,” he said. “The top two teams will qualify directly, while the remaining teams will have to compete in additional qualification tournaments to secure their spots.”

The veteran coach said the men’s squad are in good condition despite the lack of international warm-up matches.

“Our players are in relatively good shape. Although we were unable to play any friendly matches due to the existing circumstances, the team are physically and tactically well-prepared for the competition,” Rezaei said.

He added that Iran will arrive in China two or three days before the tournament begins and hopes to arrange friendly matches with Brazil and Germany.

“We have already held discussions with the coaching staffs of Brazil and Germany and hope to play friendly matches before the tournament starts,” he noted.

Rezaei also expressed optimism about the women’s team.

“The women’s team have shown good progress so far,” he said. “Our goal is to finish among the top eight teams in the 16-team tournament, which would give us the opportunity to compete for higher positions.”

He concluded by expressing hope that both Iranian teams would achieve their objectives at the World Championships in Hangzhou, China.