TEHRAN - Iran national wheelchair basketball head coach Behrouz Soltani says his team is fully prepared for the upcoming IWBF Men's Repechage in Thailand.

After completing a two-week training camp in Turkey and playing friendly matches against Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, the Iranian squad traveled to Suphanburi to compete in the qualifiers for the World Championship Finals in Canada.

“The 2026 IWBF Men's Repechage represent the final stage on the road to the World Championships in Canada. Eight teams are competing, divided into two groups of four. Iran will open their campaign against Senegal on Monday, before facing Brazil and Poland in the following matches,” Soltani said in an interview with Tehran Times.

The Iranian coach emphasized the importance of securing a strong position in the group standings.

“We will do everything possible to achieve the best results in the group stage and finish as high as we can in the rankings. A better position will give us a more favorable matchup in the playoff round. We hope to deliver strong performances throughout the tournament.”

Soltani expressed confidence in his squad’s current form and long-term development plans.

“We have a very strong and well-prepared team, and we are hopeful of achieving the goals we have set. We are pleased with the structure of the team and our technical philosophy. The team continue to make excellent progress,” he said.

One of the coaching staff’s key objectives is identifying and developing young talent for future international competitions.

“This tournament will provide an important opportunity in that regard. We have two players aged 16 and 17 in the squad, as well as a 23-year-old player among our 12-man roster. Alongside our pursuit of results and our broader ambitions for the program, we hope to successfully integrate these promising young athletes and strengthen the future of the national team.”

The head coach concluded by highlighting the positive atmosphere within the camp.

“The training camp has gone very well, and fortunately we have no injured players. Everyone is healthy and ready to compete. We hope to make the people of Iran and the wheelchair basketball community proud.”