TEHRAN – Iran qualified for semifinals round of the 2023 Asian Water Polo Championship after beating Uzbekistan 18-8 on Saturday.

Team Melli will play Thailand on Sunday, while China meet Kazakhstan.

Iran had previously defeated Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and the Philippines.

The Championship started on March 22 in Singapore and will run until March 27.

The eight men and four women teams will compete over the course of the next five days to qualify for May’s World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup – Division 2 Qualifier in Berlin. Only the top four men’s and top two women’s teams will make the cut.