TEHRAN - Iranian national handball team fell short of expectations at the 2024 Asian Handball Championship, finishing at sixth place.

Despite their efforts, they were unable to secure a higher ranking in a tournament dominated by Qatar and Japan, who claimed the championship the first and the latter became runners-up.

Iran suffered a narrow 27-26 defeat against South Korea in their last match, sealing their sixth-place finish. While they managed victories against New Zealand, China, and the UAE, lost to South Korea (twice), Japan, and Qatar.

Since 2014, the Iranian handball team have struggled to achieve significant success, despite several changes in coaching staff.

Various reasons have been cited for this lack of success, including financial challenges within the Iranian Handball Federation and the inadequacy of the Iranian Handball League to nurture talent and support the national team.

One contributing factor to Iran's underperformance is the lack of competitiveness in the domestic handball league. Many teams face financial difficulties, limiting their ability to develop and showcase their technical prowess.

Majid Rahimizadeh, current head coach of Iran national team, acknowledged the team's shortcomings and called for fair criticism of their performance. He expressed regret over missed opportunities against strong opponents and emphasized the need for improvement.

Rahimizadeh's tenure as head coach has faced scrutiny, particularly regarding the team's inability to secure victories in crucial moments of the games.

Although he is well-acquainted with the Iranian handball and has years of experience, coaching many of the current national team players at the club level. Rahimizadeh cited the limited time he spent with the national team as the reason for his side’s failure. Critics, however, argue that he had enough time to prepare Iran for the 2024 Asian Handball Championship.

Overall, Iran's handball program faces significant challenges that must be addressed to elevate their performance on the international stage. Without substantial improvements in infrastructure, coaching, and league competitiveness, Iran's handball team may continue to struggle to achieve desired results.