Behrouz Soltani: We Are Ready for the 2026 IWBF Repechage
Iran's wheelchair basketball coach says the team is ready for the 2026 IWBF Men's Repechage in Thailand after a camp in Turkey.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Behrouz Soltani says Iran enters the final qualification stage for the 2026 IWBF Men's World Championship with a prepared squad, a healthy roster, and confidence built through training in Turkey and friendlies against Turkish clubs. The coach also highlighted the tournament as a chance to test and develop younger players.
Iran's wheelchair basketball team is like a school team entering the last round before the big championship. The coach says they practiced hard, stayed healthy, and now want to win enough games in Thailand to move closer to Canada.
Analysis
Final step toward Canada
Behrouz Soltani, head coach of Iran's national wheelchair basketball team, says the squad is fully prepared for the 2026 IWBF Men's Repechage in Thailand. The repechage is the last qualification stage on the road to the World Championship finals in Canada, and eight teams are competing for a limited number of places.
Iran arrived in Suphanburi after a two-week training camp in Turkey. During that camp, the team played friendly matches against Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, which Soltani presented as useful preparation ahead of the qualifiers.
Group-stage target
Iran has been drawn into a group of four and will open against Senegal on Monday, followed by matches against Brazil and Poland. Soltani said the team wants to finish as high as possible in the group standings because a better position would produce a more favorable playoff matchup.
He described the squad as strong and well prepared, and said the coaching staff is satisfied with both the team's structure and its technical approach. The article says the team has continued to make progress.
Building for the future
Beyond the immediate qualification goal, Soltani said the tournament also serves a development purpose. The squad includes two teenage players, aged 16 and 17, plus a 23-year-old among the 12-man roster. He said the staff hopes to integrate those younger athletes while also chasing results.
The coach closed by saying the camp went well and that no players are injured. He said everyone is healthy and ready to compete, and expressed hope that the team will make Iran's supporters and the wheelchair basketball community proud.
Key points
- Iran's wheelchair basketball team is in Thailand for the 2026 IWBF Men's Repechage.
- The team trained for two weeks in Turkey and played Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in friendlies.
- Iran opens against Senegal and will also face Brazil and Poland in the group stage.
- Soltani says finishing higher in the group would help secure a better playoff matchup.
- The squad includes young players, and the coach sees the tournament as a chance to develop them.
If Iran keeps the form it showed in camp, the team could place well in the group and earn a more favorable playoff matchup. The younger players could also gain valuable experience without hurting the team's chances right away.
If Iran struggles against Senegal, Brazil, or Poland, a weaker group finish could leave it with a tougher playoff path. The article also shows how much the plan depends on staying healthy; any injury or dip in form would undercut both qualification and development goals.
