Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship:
Iran determined to learn from past setbacks, says captain Alikhani
Iran captain Shabnam Alikhani says the national women’s team has learned from previous setbacks and is determined to produce a stronger showing at the upcoming Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Iran has been drawn alongside host China, Chinese Taipei and Iraq in Pool A of the continental event, which will get underway on August 21 in Tianjin, China.
The tournament marks the third major event in what has been a congested international season for the Iranian team.
Iran retained its CAVA Championship title in June with a final victory over Kazakhstan before enduring a disappointing campaign at the AVC Women’s Nations Cup, where it finished seventh in the 12-team tournament in Candon, Philippines.
“We’ve been in camp for about 20 days and, thankfully, everything is going well,” Alikhani said after a training session on Friday.
“The players are fully focused and following the coaching staff’s program to prepare for the competition ahead,” added the Iranian setter.
Reflecting on Iran’s recent campaigns, Alikhani admitted the team struggled to cope with the physical and mental demands of a packed schedule.
“In our previous tournaments, we had a long and demanding trip. Playing in three consecutive tournaments put a lot of pressure on the players,” she said.
“In the Nations Cup, which mattered most to us, the psychological pressure and the overall atmosphere affected the team’s concentration, and we couldn’t achieve the result we wanted.”
The captain said those experiences have helped the squad grow as it targets an improved performance at the Asian Championship.
“Those tournaments are behind us now, and we’ve learned from them,” Alikhani said.
“We’ve returned to training with complete focus and determination, hoping to reach the level that Iran’s women’s volleyball deserves.”
Alikhani acknowledged the challenge awaiting her team, noting that China will benefit from home support while Chinese Taipei arrives fresh off the runner-up finish at the Nations Cup.
“Despite the tough group, we will give everything on the court and try to deliver our best performance against every opponent,” she said.
This year’s tournament will mark Iran’s ninth appearance. The team finished 10th at the previous edition in Thailand in 2023, with its best-ever result coming in 2019, when it placed seventh.
With the champion securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, China – runner-up in 2023 – will be eager to claim a record-extending 14th continental title and its first since 2015 on home soil.
Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, will look to improve on its ninth-place finish in 2023, while Iraq is set to make its tournament debut.
The top two teams from each of the three pools will advance to the quarterfinals, while the remaining two knockout berths will go to the best two third-placed teams.