Asia Oceania Wheelchair Basketball Championships:
Iran routs China 89-30 in opener
Iranian men’s wheelchair basketball team got off to a flying start at the IWBF Asia Oceania Championships, demolishing China 89-30 Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday.
Mahdi Abbasi contributed with a game-high 24 points, plus five rebounds, for Iran during 20:43 minutes on the court.
Iranian captain Morteza Abedi and Amirreza Ahmadi chipped in 15 and 14 points, respectively, while Tang Mengfan and Nian Qiacheng topped the scoring chart for China with 12 points apiece.
The two sides are joined by Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and defending champion Australia – which defeated Iran in last year’s final – in the men’s Division A event, which will be held in a round-robin format.
All six teams will be joined by the two highest-ranked Division B teams in the quarterfinal.
Afghanistan, Chinese Taipei, India, Iraq, Kuwait, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia complete the lineup in the second-tier division.
Chasing a first men’s title in 20 years, Iran will face Japan today, before playing on Australia, South Korea, and Thailand, respectively, until Wednesday.
The tournament serves as a qualifier for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, with both finalists also securing spots at next year’s World Championship in Ottawa, Canada.