TEHRAN - Iranian basketball expert Mostafa Hashemi believes that the Basketball Federation needs new ideas for the future of basketball in Iran.

In the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Iran basketball team lost their last match to Lebanon 81-73 on Saturday, following losses against Brazil, Ivory Coast, and Spain in Group G. Hakan Demir’s side had also lost to France 82-55 in Group P.

“No further explanation is necessary because the results speak for themselves,” said Hashemi in his interview with Tehran Times.

“The consecutive losses at the FIBA World Cup have left people unhappy. Defeats are already unpleasant, but when combined with poor performance, they become even more unpleasant,” he added.

“We had the potential to win against Lebanon and Ivory Coast, as well as minimizing the deficit in losses to Brazil and France and enhancing our performance against Spain,” added the former head coach of Iran national team.

More than the team, Hashemi believes that the basketball federation needs new ideas.

“If the President of the Federation, Mr. Davari, wants to improve the current unpleasant situation of Iranian basketball, he will need to reconsider some of his decisions and thoughts.

“Remember the promises he made before taking on the presidency of the Iranian basketball federation, as some of his actions and appointments contradict those commitments,” Hashemi said.

“I think the poor performance of the team has made it clear that the national team's head coach has failed to live up to expectations. I would rather talk about the important issues that are currently affecting Iranian basketball and finding solutions to these issues is a must,” concluded Hashemi.

Japan emerged as the best team from Asia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and earned a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, while Lebanon, the second-best Asian team, secured a place in one of the four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT) next year.