TEHRAN – Hadi Rezaei, head coach of Iran’s national sitting volleyball team, says the team are determined to win the gold medal at the 2026 Para Volley World Championships, an event that also serves as a qualification pathway for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Iran’s national sitting volleyball team are currently holding a training camp at the Federation of Sports for the Disabled. A multi-nation tournament that was scheduled to take place next week in Mashhad, however, has been canceled due to the absence of visiting teams.

Russia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, along with Iran’s A and B national teams, were expected to participate, but the competition was ultimately called off.

“Hosting this tournament would have been a very good opportunity for our team,” Rezaei told Tehran Times in an exclusive interview. “Nevertheless, due to the withdrawal of some teams, it will not take place. But we must not stop our preparation process. Training must continue, and this is currently being done with both the A and B teams present at the Federation.”

Rezaei explained that Iran’s B team are intended to act as a support system for the main squad, but questioned expectations placed upon the younger side.

“Team B are supposed to support Team A. The Federation officials expect this team to win a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, but in my view, that is not realistic,” he said. “If they lower their expectations and say we are sending a young team and results are not the priority, that is fine. But forming a Team B while simultaneously expecting a gold medal is simply not possible.”

According to Rezaei, only a small number of players from the B team will eventually be promoted to the senior squad.

“From Team B, two or three players will be added to Team A. Next July, we will compete in the World Championships in China, which also serve as a qualification event for the 2028 Paralympic Games,” he said. “This competition is extremely important, and we must send a team capable of securing Iran’s Paralympic qualification without taking unnecessary risks.”

Rezaei also emphasized the need for a more structured and professional approach to talent identification in Paralympic sports.

“If we truly want to focus on talent identification, it must be done correctly and systematically,” he said. “Athletes suited for sitting volleyball must be identified from the very beginning and gradually developed through competitions in this discipline. This process requires proper infrastructure.”

“Talent identification in sitting volleyball, athletics, or powerlifting is different from simply selecting volunteer athletes for Paralympic sports. Unfortunately, this latter approach is often what is referred to as ‘talent identification’ in our country,” Rezaei concluded.