TEHRAN - Volleyball expert Mohammad Torkashvand had hit out at Iran volleyball national team following poor performance in the 2023 Asian Volleyball Championship.

Iran fell short against Japan in straight sets (25-20, 25-18, 25-18) in the final match of the 2023 Asian Volleyball Championship.

“We were fortunate to play Japan in the final of the Asian Championship. We wouldn’t have made it if we had faced Qatar instead of China in the semifinals,” said Torkashvand in his interview with Tehran Times.

On Saturday, Japan emerged victorious over Iran in Urmia to win their 10th title.

After coming in third in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Nations League last month, Japan solidified themselves as the main power of Asian volleyball by winning the Asian championship.

“Although the Iranian volleyball team lost to the third team of the VNL, we cannot disregard our weaknesses and use this as an excuse,” the former national team player said.

“Even in matches against Hong Kong, Iraq, and Pakistan, the team didn’t perform well. Do you think we could have beaten China in the semifinals if Urmia wasn’t the host? The team's victory in the semifinals was attributed to the fans' support, but it did not have the same effect in the final game,” Torkashvand added.

The competition in Iran saw Behrouz Ataei's team emerge victorious against Hong Kong and Iraq 3-0 and 3-1 respectively. Iran then beat Pakistan 3-0 in the Round of 12 and China 3-0 in the semifinals to enter the final match.

According to the Torkashvand, Iran’s national volleyball team are not good at all.

“No excuse can justify the team performance. Being runners-up in Asia is not a bad achievement, but it's not enough for the Iranians who have been the champions in Asia for 10-15 years. In the past two years the national volleyball team have not progressed and regressed. The team will move down with current conditions,” he concluded.