TEHRAN - Head coach of Iran wheelchair basketball team, Mohammadreza Dastyar, spoke about his team's success at the 2023 IWBF World Championships.

Team Melli made history by winning their first-ever medal in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) World Championships, beating the Netherlands 72-54 in the bronze medal game in Dubai, UAE last week.

“The teams in our group were incredibly strong and it's worth noting that the final top three teams of the tournament were all from Group D - Britain, the U.S., and Iran,” said Dastyar in his interview with Tehran Times.

“We struggled with tough opponents at the start of the tournament, but it made us more organized. Our matches against Britain and the U.S. were impressive, and we received a lot of praise,” he added.

“After finishing third in our group, we went on to beat France and Germany in the knockout stage with outstanding performances. We faced some difficulties in the game against Germany, but were able to secure a victory with a great comeback and a two-point lead.

“We analyzed the Netherlands thoroughly before and during the bronze medal game and our players followed our tactical plan in the match. Thankfully, Iran were able to win the bronze medal by defeating the European team,” added the head coach of Iran national team.

In the2023 IWBF World Championships, Iran defeated France, Germany, and the Netherlands while losing twice to titleholders Britain and 2020 Paralympics champions the U.S.

The competition was postponed from November 16 to 27, 2022 to June 9 to 20, 2023.

“Some of our players are playing in Europe, which is why we didn't have our complete team for this tournament,” said Dastyar.

“Our next aim is to win a gold in the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and the Paralympic qualifying games, while keeping our team strong and united and working on our weaknesses,” Dastyar concluded.