Iran's Wheelchair Basketball Team Eyes 2026 World Championship Success
Coach Behrouz Soltani has overseen an intensive training camp in Turkey as the Iranian wheelchair basketball squad sharpens its focus ahead of the 2026 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) World Championships. The camp, which featured six friendly matches, served as a crucible for testing tactics and building chemistry before the tournament that also secures Paralympic qualification berths.
During the Turkish leg, Iran faced off against Turkey and Poland, emerging with a record of four wins and two defeats. The team swept all three encounters with Poland, while only a single victory over the host nation Turkey punctuated the schedule. Soltani stressed that the outcome of these matches was secondary to the broader objective of refining player performance and team cohesion.
The coach’s comments underscore a deliberate strategy: the camp’s primary aim was to elevate readiness rather than chase specific results. By immersing the squad in competitive yet controlled environments, the staff sought to boost confidence and fine‑tune strategies that will be essential when the world’s best converge in Ottawa.
Looking forward, a second phase of preparation will commence in Tehran on September 6, where the final 12‑player roster for the Canadian leg of the tournament will be locked in. The upcoming World Championship, scheduled from September 9 to 19, will place Iran in Group D alongside Morocco, Germany and Canada, a lineup that Soltani is studying closely as rival nations continue their own preparatory tournaments.
Beyond the immediate competitive calendar, the Iranian delegation remains keenly aware that strong performances in the group stage could translate into continental qualification for the Paralympic Games. As the team finalizes its preparations, the blend of experience and emerging talent promises to make a compelling case for a podium finish.