Iran U21 gearing up for title defense at volleyball world meet
Iran will once again be among the favorites at the FIVB Men’s U21 World Championship when the global showpiece gets underway on August 21 in the Chinese city of Jiangmen.
A two-time champion over the past three editions, Iran will begin its title defense against Kazakhstan in Pool B on the opening day of the competition.
A second outing for Iran will come against Puerto Rico on Aug. 22, followed by games against South Korea – in a repeat of last year’s Asian under-20 final, which Iran won in straight sets – Canada, and Poland.
The top four in each of the four six-team groups will progress to the round of 16.
Iranian head coach Mohammad Mo’menimoqaddam will be looking to build on a 20-game unbeaten run at the helm, during which the country claimed back-to-back Asian under-20 titles either side of the world U21 crown in 2023 – thanks to a 3-2 victory over Italy in the final showdown in Manama.
Mo’menimoqaddam said the primary goal for him and his coaching staff has been to develop a decent generation of young players for the senior national team, while chasing a second successive world title in Jiangmen.
“The team is highly motivated and eager to deliver a performance worthy of the Iranian volleyball’s stature,” the head coach told reporters during a final training session in Tehran on Monday.
“The team will definitely go after glory in Jiangmen, although this year’s tournament will be exceptionally tough as it is the post-Olympic year and many countries are undergoing comprehensive changes in their youth setup,” added the Iranian coach.
Pouria Ariakhah will be the player to watch in the Iranian squad after the prolific opposite delivered an MVP display during the title-winning run at the Asian U20 meet in Indonesia last summer and was part of the national team in the Volleyball Nations League preliminaries in June and July.
Young setter Emran Kookjili, along with middle-blockers Taha Behboudinia and Armin Qelichniazi, were also among the individual award winners at the Asian event and are expected to play integral roles for the Iranian team in Jiangmen again.
Joining the quadruple in the visit to China are Emad Kakavand (setter), Ali Mombeini (opposite), Morteza Tabatabaei (libero), Shayan Mehrabi (middle blocker), Matin Hosseini (outside hitter), Morteza Narimani (outside hitter), Arian Mahmoudinejad (outside hitter), and Mohammad-Mani Alikhani (outside hitter).
Elsewhere in the competition, the host nation will be joined by Egypt, the United States, Thailand, Morocco, and Turkey in Pool A, with four-time champion Brazil, Bulgaria, Czechia, Colombia, Japan, and Cuba completing the lineup in Pool C.
Italy, Argentina, Tunisia, France, Ukraine, and Indonesia will lock horns for a last-16 spot in Pool D.