Hazratpour: Iran will come back stronger after difficult VNL

TEHRAN – Iran men’s national volleyball libero Mohammadreza Hazratpour has vowed that the national team will bounce back from a challenging 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League campaign, insisting the setbacks of this season will not be repeated.

Speaking about Iran’s performance in the tournament, Hazratpour said the team showed clear progress compared to the previous year despite finishing with fewer victories.

“I believe our start in this year’s Nations League was better than last year. Brazil beat us 3-0 in 2025, but this year we pushed them hard and lost 3-1. We even had a real chance to win that match.”

The experienced libero admitted Iran fell short of expectations but expressed confidence that the team is moving in the right direction.

“I can promise the people of Iran and the volleyball community that we will not experience another Nations League like this. Next year, we will be much stronger.”

Hazratpour said Iran’s immediate focus has shifted to the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship, where he believes the race for the title and Olympic qualification remains wide open.

“The Asian Championship is absolutely within our reach. Japan won’t beat us easily. It will be a tough match, but not only against Japan. China, the Philippines and South Korea will also be difficult opponents.”