FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League 2026:
Iran men, women secure Stop 5 double
Iran enjoyed a dominant fifth stop at the FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League in Cangzhou, China, winning both the men’s and women’s basketball events in the Asia Central/East division on Saturday.
In the men’s competition, Iran defeated China 21-11 before beating Kazakhstan by the same score to win Pool A and advance to the final.
Comprising Mohammad-Mahdi Rahimi, Seyyed Mohammad Ghaffari, Mohammad-Basir Mo’meni, Sarem Jafari and Argen Minasians, the Iranian team beat Mongolia 19-17 in the final to add to its Stop 4 victory from the previous day, when it defeated Japan in the final. The Iranian men had finished runners-up behind South Korea at Stop 1 before placing third at Stop 3 on Thursday.
The Iranian women’s team, meanwhile, began the day with an overtime 16-14 win over Japan, followed by a comfortable 21-12 victory over Kazakhstan to finish top of Pool A.
Iran then pulled off an impressive 20-13 victory over hosts China in the final.
Featuring Mahla Abedi, Mahsa Karani, Farnaz Khodamardi and Shamim Nouri, the Iranian team began its campaign with a third-place finish at Stop 1 and then repeated the feat at Stop 4.