Iran defeated Japan in straight sets (27-25, 26-24, 25-20) to win the 2nd Asian Men's U23 Volleyball Championship for the second time.

The match was held in front of more than 6,000 cheering fans at the Rezazadeh Hall in Ardabil.

Juan Cichello’s boys started the competition with a 3-0 victory over Pakistan in the group stage.

Iran then beat Malaysia 3-1, China 3-0, Kazakhstan 3-0 and Thailand 3-0.

In the third-place play off, Chinese Taipei defeated Thailand 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-22).

“Iran will have an uphill task in the World Championship since a total of best teams will vie for the best results. It’s possible to win trophy but very hard,” Cichello concluded.

The competition brought a total pf 11 teams in Ardabil, Iran from May 1 to 9.

The tournament served as the Asian qualifier for the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Men's U23 World Championship which will be held in Cairo, Egypt.

Iran and Japan advanced to the World Championship as top two teams.

Final Standings:
1. Iran, 2. Japan, 3. Chinese Taipei, 4. Thailand, 5. China, 6. Pakistan, 7. Kazakhstan, 8. Malaysia, 9. Uzbekistan, 10. Sri Lanka, 11. Australia