IWBF Men’s Repechage:
Iran beats Poland to secure World Championship spot
Iran’s wheelchair basketball team booked its place at September’s World Championship after defeating Poland 81-59 in its final Group B game at the IWBF Men’s Repechage in Suphan Buri, Thailand, on Wednesday.
Team captain Morteza Abdi led the scoring for Iran with a game-high 25 points, while Mohammad-Hassan Sayyari posted a double-double of 18 points and 11 assists.
Mahdi Abbasi, meanwhile, added 12 points as Iran finished atop the group standings with a perfect record of three victories.
Poland’s Mateusz Filipski also recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists, while teammates Andrzej Macek and Krzysztof Grzegorz Kozaryna contributed 12 points apiece.
Iran began its campaign with an emphatic 77-24 victory over Senegal on Monday before defeating Brazil 75-63 the following day at Suphan Buri Indoor Stadium.
Under the tournament format, the top team in each group was due to face the bottom-placed team from the opposite group, while the runners-up were to meet the third-placed team from the other pool, with the winners of the four crossover matches qualifying for the World Championship in Ottawa, Canada.
However, Wednesday’s victory handed Iran direct qualification after Venezuela’s late withdrawal from the tournament left Group A without a fourth-placed team.
The World Championship will also serve as a qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.