TIANJIN, China – Iran basketball guard Mehdi Kamrani said on Sunday that they are trying to retain their title in the 25th FIBA Asia Championship for men.

“Two years ago, we played the championship to earn respect for Iranian basketball. We wanted to prove that we were capable of playing good basketball. Now, we are here to defend the championship gold medal,” Kamrani said.
“We haven’t played together as a team for a long time although we know each other very well. Hamed (Hadadi) is crucial in our plans. He was away in NBA. I am really privileged to play alongside great players like Hadadi and Samad Nikkah. Playing with such talented and trustworthy teammates automatically reduces the pressure,” Mahram player told FIBA ASIA.
Iran is scheduled to play Japan on Monday. The team defeated Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Kuwait in the preliminary round