FIVB U17 Boys’ World Championship:
Iran out for revenge against Pakistan in pool phase
Iran will look to avenge its two setbacks against Pakistan at last year’s Asian U16 Championship when the two teams go head-to-head again at the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship, which kicks off on Wednesday in Doha.
The new draw for the second edition of the global showpiece took place on Saturday after Japan, USA, Puerto Rico and Czechia withdrew from the event due to security concerns in the region.
Iran and Pakistan have been drawn alongside Chinese Taipei and Algeria in Pool E of the 20-team tournament.
Iran will take on Algeria on the opening day of the competition, followed by a highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on Friday.
Pakistan came out on top against Iran in four sets in the second-round pool phase at the Asian U16 event, before rallying from two sets down to stun Arash Sadeqiani’s boys in the final in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
The final day of the pool phase will see Iran face Chinese Taipei on Sunday.
Chinese Taipei was a surprise bronze medalist at the inaugural U17 World Championship in Sofia in 2024, defeating Spain 3-2 in the third-place match.
A global powerhouse in age-group volleyball, Iran had to settle for fifth place in the Bulgarian capital after defeating Belgium 3-2 in its final classification match.
Setter Aydin Poozesh and outside hitter Azhvan Namazi, who were named to the tournament’s Dream Team at the Asian Championship, headline the Iranian roster in Doha. The squad also includes Sina Hazrati, Akam Ebrahimnejad, Seyyed Amirreza Mirhosseini, Arash Ashrafi, Hamzeh Aqcheli, Amirreza Faramarzi, Monib Sheikh, Mohammadreza Zibaei, Sina Ahmadi, Parsa Maqsoudi, Radan Salehi and Yasin Asadizadeh.
Sadeqiani’s team played Egypt in the first of its two warmup games in Doha on Saturday, winning 3-1 (25-15, 25-22, 30-32, 25-21).
“Egypt is a strong team and put in a respectable performance in the previous edition. We tried to implement different tactical approaches on the court and used various combinations during the match,” Sadeqiani said after the game.
“Thankfully, I am satisfied with the team’s condition on our first day in Qatar. Considering the weather conditions, the difference in altitude and other such factors, the players are adapting well to the new circumstances,” added the Iranian coach, whose team will face Italy in a second friendly in Doha today.
Elsewhere in Saturday’s draw, host Qatar was joined by France, Venezuela and Tunisia in Pool A.
Defending champion Italy has been drawn in Pool B along with Cuba, India and Romania, while Pool C features Argentina – beaten by Italy in the 2024 final – Brazil, Poland and Mexico.
Spain, Egypt, Bulgaria and Türkiye complete the lineup in Pool D.
Each team will play three preliminary-round matches, with the top 16 teams in the combined ranking advancing to the knockout stage.