Iran NT 2016


  • Thank you for this great analysis, as you mentioned Mahmoudi was very tired and had some injuries, like others. IMO this team is much better than Kovac's era, but some of the problems can't be solved easily because players don't experience a real professional life in their clubs.
    Iranian League is actually a charity institute for the players and managers to earn a lot for just in 20 or 30 matches. and not a single player is introduced to NT by clubs, they dont have any effective talent finding/ educating programs except 2 or 3. All the players are found by federation itself from all around the country for under age NTs and then clubs hire them.


    But what I think differently from Kazisky is that OG is not at all a good tournament to asses teams' real power. because of its format. WCH is a better tournament that we can say teams that are really more powerful can get to the semis. but at OG the only and the most important match is quarter final that sends you to the hell or heaven. Iran must play against one of the USA, BRA, ITA or FRA that normally they can beat Iran even if Iran plays good. but in that single match many things can happen

  • Yes, on OG just one match could send you to "heaven or hell" but concentration of quality is much higher or better to say there isn't much space for mistakes :) I mean in general not only for Rio.


    If you compare Iran under Kovač and Lozano there is really big difference. I'm sure Lozano will do his job...


    Iran clubs don't have any youth program or teams? How is that possible? So Federation is "recruiting" players and after that clubs are hiring them? It should be reversed :D I can't believe what you said :rolll: I mean, Iran's results are miracle considering clubs aren't doing nothing. Also this explains Mirzajanpour's stagnation...

  • Yes, on OG just one match could send you to "heaven or hell" but concentration of quality is much higher or better to say there isn't much space for mistakes :) I mean in general not only for Rio.


    If you compare Iran under Kovač and Lozano there is really big difference. I'm sure Lozano will do his job...


    Iran clubs don't have any youth program or teams? How is that possible? So Federation is "recruiting" players and after that clubs are hiring them? It should be reversed :D I can't believe what you said :rolll: I mean, Iran's results are miracle considering clubs aren't doing nothing. Also this explains Mirzajanpour's stagnation...


    Yes effectively clubs are doing nothing. except for 3 or 4 clubs like Paykan and Kalleh. But people themselves are doing sth, there many private or semi-private volleyball halls or schools all around the country especially in the regions that volley is hot, like Urumia (city of Marouf and Ebadipour) and Gonbad (city of Ghaemi- turkmens live there it's near Turkmenistan border) and these activities are generally coordinated by each province volleyball committee which is under supervision of Federation.


    Federation has a broad talent finding program which they select youth team from 10000 people and generally these people go to higher teams and clubs. It all started from 25 years ego where Ivans Bugajenkovs (2 times gold medalist from Soviet Union) came here and worked for 17 years in Iran as a coach for under age teams and programs. He even went to high schools in all the small cities all around the country to find players.

  • Olympics composition is almost selected, only 1 OH must must leave


    S: Saeid Marouf, Mehdi Mahdavi
    Op: Shahram Mahmoudi, Amir Ghafour
    L: Mehdi Marandi
    MB: Mohammad Mousavi, Adel Gholami, Mostafa Sharifat
    OH: Hamzeh Zarini, Milad Ebadipour, Farhad Ghaemi, Mojtaba Mirzajanpou, Javad Manavienejad

  • surprise, Lozano dropped Mirzajanpour ! I would drop Manavinejad, Mirza was actually playing good in World League as an opposite.


    nevermind , turned out to be a fake news, they are still waiting for Ghafour til Sunday, he is training with the team but still injured if he can't make it , Mirza will play as opposite. otherwise they will drop one of the OHs.

  • Although Mobasheri is the least known player among these OHs, he indeed delivered well during WL. Zarini didn't perform well at all this year, in both offense and defense. His selection to Rio sounds to have a lot to do with his fame...

  • OG roster:


    S: Saeid Marouf, Mehdi Mahdavi
    Op: Shahram Mahmoudi, Amir Ghafour
    L: Mehdi Marandi
    MB: Mohammad Mousavi, Adel Gholami, Mostafa Sharifat
    OH: Hamzeh Zarini, Milad Ebadipour, Farhad Ghaemi, Mojtaba Mirzajanpour

  • so no OG for Javad Manavienejad while Ghafour made it :wavy:

    Gold medal - World League 2013 Prediction Game
    Bronze medal - World League 2012 Prediction Game

  • Any update on the current situation of Iran NT? Coaches and retirements?


    Also, what happened to the team volleyball iran facebook page? It was a very well organized source of information but it seems the account was closed.

  • Any update on the current situation of Iran NT? Coaches and retirements?

    as far as I remember only the reserve setter Mahdavi announced retirement from the NT which is a blessing in disguise :D


    about the coach, they talked about so many names but apparently it will be Radostin Stoychev.