Esmaeilnejad returns as Iran begins preparations for Asian Volleyball Championship
Star opposite Amin Esmaeilnejad has returned to Iran’s national volleyball team after recovering from injury, providing a major boost as Roberto Piazza’s side begins preparations for the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship, which will kick off on September 4 in Fukuoka, Japan.
The Iranian Volleyball Federation announced a 15-man squad for the first phase of its training camp, with Esmaeilnejad included after missing the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
The 28-year-old had taken part in Iran’s initial VNL training camps but was left out of the final roster just days before the tournament following a decision by head coach Piazza. His absence, coupled with an injury setback, ruled him out of the competition and drew criticism from some fans and observers, given his status as one of Iran’s most prolific players in recent years.
Having fully recovered, Esmaeilnejad is set to join the national team’s training sessions on Tuesday in Tehran as Iran shifts its focus to the continental championship.
The first training camp will feature 15 players, with Ali Ramezani, Emran Koukjali, Amirmohammad Golzadeh, Alireza Abdolhamidi, Amirhossein Esfandiar, Matin Hosseini, Esmaeil Mosafer, Ehsan Daneshdoost, Shayan Mehrabi, Armin Qelichniazi, Matin Ahmadi, Alireza Farahani Moslehabadi, Komeil Khojasteh, and Mehran Tavana also included in the squad.
Piazza and the players who represented Iran in the VNL preliminaries will join the camp on August 7 after a short break. The group includes Arshia Behnejad, Ali Hajipour, Morteza Sharifi, Pouria Hosseinkhanzadeh, Mohsen Delavari, Mohammad Valizadeh, Mohammadreza Hazratpour, Ilshan Davoudipour, Ali Haqparast, Mobin Nasri, Issa Nasseri, Yousef Kazemi, Nima Bateni, and Hossein Hajikalateh.
Iran will travel to Russia on August 20 with a 14-man squad for a 10-day training camp before heading to Japan for the Asian Championship, where an Olympic berth will also be on the line, with the champion securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A three-time continental champion across the past four editions, Iran will look to bounce back from a disappointing VNL campaign, where it suffered nine defeats in 12 matches to finish 14th in the 18-team standings and miss out on a place in the VNL Finals.
The Asian Championship will be followed by the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, which begin on September 19, with Iran chasing a fourth successive gold medal at the multi-sport event.