TEHRAN - With the Ottawa 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships set to begin on Wednesday, visas for two members of Iran’s coaching staff have yet to be issued, raising the possibility that Iran could withdraw from the competition.

The 15th edition of the Championship will be held in Canada from Sept. 9 to 19.

 Iran are one of 16 teams participating in the tournament and have been drawn into Group D, where they will face Morocco, Germany and host nation Canada.

 “Canada, which is hosting the World Championship, has issued visas for the players, but the visas for the head coach and assistant coach have not yet been issued, and we are running out of time. I hope this issue is resolved soon so that, given the limited time remaining, we can take part in the competition,” Iran head coach Behrouz Soltani said.

 “If our visas are issued, we will participate in the tournament. Otherwise, there is a possibility that we could miss the World Championship. I believe our goal is to achieve the best possible results in this competition, but such an issue could disrupt the process and preparations we have planned,” he added.

 “We had a good training camp in Turkey, and the visa application process was also carried out properly and carefully. Given that embassies are closed on Saturday and Sunday, and the competition begins on Wednesday, I hope this issue will be resolved as soon as possible so that we can travel to the tournament with a well-prepared team within the remaining time,” he concluded.