TEHRAN – Iran defeated Iraq 83-41 in Group D of the 2022 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) World Championships on Wednesday.

Team Melli had lost to holders Britain 90-59 and the 2020 Tokyo champions U.S. 82-74 in their opening matches.

Group A consists of Australia, Italy, Brazil and the UAE. Egypt, Germany, Canada and Thailand are in Group B and the Netherlands, Argentina, South Korea and France are drawn in Group C. 

The competition was originally scheduled for Nov. 16 to 27, 2022 but was postponed until June 9 to 20, 2023.

The first unofficial Wheelchair Basketball World Championships for men was held in 1973, with Bruges, Belgium being the first host city.

The U.S. are the most decorated team in the competition with six titles.