TEHRAN – Iran volleyball team have traveled to Japan to take part at the 21st Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship but the Persians are not a star-studded team in this edition.

After the poor performance in the 2020 Olympic Games, Iran volleyball federation decided to rebuild the national team with the young players. The superstars like Mohammad Mousavi, Amir Ghafour and Mehdi Marandi as well as Saeid Marouf, who announced his international retirement, were not invited to the National Team.

Behrouz Ataei has a chance to make history with a young team who will be captained by Milad Ebadipour.

Defending champions Iran are determined to win the title for the fourth time. Team Iran will have a difficult task ahead in the event since hosts Japan, who are the most-decorated team with nine titles, are a team to beat on home soil.

A total of 16 teams will compete in the 21st Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship from Sept. 12 to 19 in Chiba, Japan, vying for two spots in next year’s FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Russia.

After successfully hosting the 3rd Asian Senior Men’s Championship in 1983 in Tokyo, Japan will now become the battleground for the continent’s top-tier competition for the first time in 38 years.

The 21st edition features 16 teams comprising hosts Japan, India, Qatar and Bahrain in Pool A and reigning champions Iran, Pakistan, Thailand and Hong Kong China in Pool B. Pool C consists of Australia, China, Uzbekistan and Kuwait, with Korea, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia in Pool D.

As of September 6, 2021, world No.10 Japan are the Asian team with the best world ranking, followed respectively by Iran (11), Korea (21), Qatar (27), China (29), Australia (30), Chinese Taipei (32), Thailand (39), Pakistan (52) and Kazakhstan (58).

Iran have the potential to win the title in Japan since the team are empowered by rising stars namely, Saber Kazemi, Meysam Salehi, Javad Karimi, Ali Asghar Mojarad, Amirhossein Esfandiar and Amirhossein Toukhteh.