Iran eyes bright future in women’s volleyball despite modest finish in Amman
Iran head coach Fatemeh Shaban Khamseh said she remains positive about the next generation of women’s volleyball in the country, despite her team’s modest finish at the Asian U16 Championship in Amman, Jordan.
A straight-set loss to Kazakhstan on Saturday left Iran 10th among 14 teams in the second edition of the tournament in Amman, Jordan.
The Iranian girls suffered back-to-back 3-0 defeats against the Philippines and Japan to finish bottom of their group in the preliminary round, but bounced back to beat India (3-0), Australia (3-2), and the host nation (3-0) in the 9th-12th classification phase before the final-day setback.
“Kazakhstan was a very strong team. They had tall, powerful players, which made it difficult for us to mount an effective attack. Compared to the other teams we faced, Kazakhstan presented a much tougher challenge,” Shaban Khamseh said after the game.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t at our best today and lacked the necessary focus. Even though we expected to be more coordinated and perform better on the final day of the competition, we couldn’t deliver the performance we were hoping for,” added the Iranian.
However, Shaban Khamseh said she is confident that a “bright future” lies ahead for Iranian women’s volleyball.
“From the start of the tournament until now, we saw a remarkable improvement in the team. All experts, coaches, and referees here agreed that the Iranian players got better with each game,” said Shaban Khamesh.
“I hope the Iranian federation will support these talented players and create a pathway for them to gain more experience at higher age groups. These kids are genuinely gifted and if we invest in them now, we can cultivate an exceptional generation of players for the years to come.
“This tournament was an invaluable experience. I am confident that if we stay on the right track and continue to provide the proper support, we will witness even greater successes from Iran’s young female volleyball players in the near future,” the coach concluded.