TEHRAN - Iran's 14-year-old table tennis sensation, Benyamin Faraji, stunned the world by defeating reigning world champion Wang Chuqin at the 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships.

Despite Faraji’s heroics, Iran’s men’s team faced tough competition, losing to powerhouses China and Japan. Nevertheless, the team's eighth-place finish ensured their qualification for the World Championships.

“We had a tough group in the competition,” said Iran’s head coach, Jamil Lotfollah Nasabi. “Benyamin started us off against Wang Chuqin, the world number one, and he played with incredible confidence. It was a remarkable performance.”

Securing just one quota for the 2025 World Championships, through Noshad Alamiyan, was not the only achievement from the 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships, according to the head coach of Iran.

“In addition to Alamiyan individual quota, our team’s eighth-place finish qualified us for the team event at the 2025 World Championships, as the top 10 Asian teams advance,” Lotfollah Nasabi said.

He also praised veteran Noshad Alamiyan, who narrowly missed out on a crucial victory over his Chinese opponent.

“Noshad was leading 12-11 and had a chance to change the outcome of the match, but unfortunately, it didn't go our way.”

The coach expressed optimism about the future of the Iranian table tennis, particularly highlighting Faraji's potential.

“Benyamin has shown that he is a future star. With the right support, he can achieve great things. Iran’s impressive showing at the Asian Championships has raised hopes for a strong performance at the World Championships and, ultimately, a qualification for the Olympics,” he concluded.