Shahdab’s Behnejad suspended ‘until further notice’ by Iranian federation
Shahdab Yazd setter Arshia Behnejad has been suspended “until further notice,” the League Organization of the Iranian Volleyball Federation announced late on Thursday.
The suspension – pending a Disciplinary Committee hearing – was imposed over the 22-year-old’s “behavioral misconduct, use of abusive language, and protests deemed excessive and outside accepted norms” during Shahdab’s Iranian Volleyball Premier League clash against Razin Polymer on Thursday.
Shahdab withstood Razin’s fightback to secure a 3-2 victory (25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-9) and remain second behind Foolad Sirjan in the top-flight standings, with 13 wins and 38 points from 15 regular-season matches.
The closing stages of the contest were marred by heated protests from players on both sides over officiating decisions, leading to chaotic scenes.
A world under-21 champion with Iran in 2023, Behnejad played an integral role for the senior national team under Italian head coach Roberto Piazza during last year’s Volleyball Nations League, where Iran finished eighth in the preliminary standings, as well as in its quarterfinal run at the World Championship in the Philippines.
Elsewhere in the latest round of league fixtures, defending champion Foolad Sirjan cruised to a straight-sets victory (25-15, 25-13, 25-18) over Mes Rafsanjan to tighten its grip on top spot with 14 wins and 40 points.
Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan defeated Shahrdari Urmia 3-0 (33-31, 25-16, 25-17) to climb to third place with 11 wins and 32 points, leapfrogging Chadormalou, which also has 11 victories but fell to a 3-1 defeat (25-22, 25-17, 28-30, 25-19) against sixth-placed Paykan.
San’atgaran Omid and Mehregan Noor, meanwhile, overcame Tabiat Eslamshahr and Esteghlal Gonbad in straight sets, respectively, to move into seventh and eighth in the standings and remain in contention for a place in the end-of-season playoffs.