Iran Volleyball National Team Achieve First-Ever Olympic Qualification
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مجله داخل پروازی هواپیمایی ماهان ورزش Mahan Inflight Magazine Sports Proprietor: Mahan Air Co. Editor-in-Chief: Seyed Mojtaba Binazir Central Office: 4th Floor, Mahan Air Tower, Azadegan St., Karaj High- way, Tehran,Iran P.O.Box: 14515411 Tel: 021-48381752 Advertisement: Agency: Eama Naghshineh Tel: (+9821) 24843 Fax: (+9821) 22050045 Cellphone: 09121129144 Email: [email protected] Iran Volleyball National Team achieve first-ever Olympic qualification Iran celebrate their 3-1 victory over Poland that earned them their first-ever Olympic qualification Iran achieved a historic feat as they earned their first-ever Olympic Games qualification, after they handed Poland their first defeat in the tournament 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 34-32) at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Saturday June 4, 2016 Iran Paralympic archer Zahra Nemati to carry Olympic flag Iranian archer Zahra Nemati became the disability is not a limitation. first woman from Iran to win an Olympic The last archer to compete in both Games or Paralympic gold medal, in 2012 in the same year was Italy's Paola Fantato Paralympic archer Zahra Nemati has been at Atlanta 1996. chosen to be Iran's flag bearer at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The Iranian Olympic Committee agreed to the decision after a suggestion from the country's National Paralympic Committee. Nemati will carry the Iranian flag at the ceremony which takes place at the Maracana on 5 August. Nemati won Paralympic gold in the women's individual recurve W1/ W2 at London 2012, becoming the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic or Paralympic title. She earned the Olympic qualification slot with a superb performance at the 2015 Asian Archery Championships in Bangkok, Thailand where she won silver in the women's recurve. The Iranian Paralympic Committee said it hoped the suggestion to its Olympic counterparts would send a message from Paralympians to Olympians and also to the world, that a person's Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 3-20 August 2016 Germany Nickname(s): Nationalelf (national eleven), DFB-Elf (DFB Eleven), Die Mannschaft (The Team) Association: German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund – DFB) Top scorer: Miroslav Klose (71) FIFA ranking: Current: 4 (2 June 2016) Highest: 1 (Dec. 1992, Aug.1993, Dec. 1993, Feb. 1994, March 1994, June 1994, July 2014 – July 2015) Lowest: 22 (March 2006) First international: Switzerland 5–3 Germany (Basel, Switzerland; 5 April 1908) Biggest win: Germany 16–0 Russian Empire (Stockholm, Sweden; 1 July 1912) Biggest defeat: England Amateurs 9–0 Germany (Oxford, England; 13 March 1909) World Cup: Appearances: 18 (First in 1934) Best result: Champions, 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 Olympic Record Germany’s best performance at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament came in their most recent appearance, with a bronze medal in 1988. There were almost eight decades between the Germans’ first appearance at the 1912 games and their first medal, a bronze in 1988. Denmark Nicknames: Danish Dynamite, De Rød-Hvide (The Red and White), Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang), Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven), The Red and White Football Aces Association: Dansk Boldspil-Union (DBU) Top scorers: Poul Nielsen (52), Jon Dahl Tomasson (52) FIFA ranking: Current: 38 (2 June 2016) Highest: 3 (May 1997, August 1997) Lowest: 42 (3 December 2015) First international: Denmark 9–0 France B (London, England; 19 October 1908) Biggest win: Denmark 17–1 France A (London, England; 22 October 1908) Biggest defeat: Germany 8–0 Denmark (Breslau, Germany; 16 May 1937) World Cup: Appearances: 4 (First in 1986) Best result: Quarter finals, 1998 Olympic Record Denmark announced their arrival on the Olympics scene with a bang, a 9-0 win against France’s B team at the 1908 games followed by a 17-1 demolition of their first team. They were defeated in that Gold Medal match by Great Britain, as they were four years later. The Danes’ most recent appearance came in 1992, departing without a win from their three games in group stage. Denmark’s 17-1 victory over France in their second Men’s Olympic Football Tournament match in 1908 is the highest- scoring game in the history of the competition. Sweden Nickname: Blågult (The Blue-Yellow) Association: Svenska Fotbollförbundet (SvFF) Top scorer: Zlatan Ibrahimović (62) FIFA ranking: Current: 35 (2 June 2016) Highest: 2 (November 1994) Lowest: 45 (March 2015, October 2015 – November 2015) First international: Sweden 11–3 Norway (Gothenburg, Sweden; 12 July 1908) Biggest win: Sweden 12–0 Latvia (Stockholm, Sweden; 29 May 1927) Sweden 12–0 South Korea (London, England; 5 August 1948) Biggest defeat: Great Britain 12–1 Sweden (London, England; 20 October 1908) World Cup: Appearances: 11 (First in 1934) Best result: Runners-up: 1958 Olympic Record After struggling in their first few Men’s Olympic Football Tournaments, a Sven Rydell-inspired Swedish side saw their way to their first bronze medal in 1924 in Paris. The nation enjoyed their Olympic ‘golden age’ immediately after World War Two, picking up their only gold medal in 1948. It took an Englishman, George Raynor, to lead the Swedes to victory in his home country. Gunnar Nordahl, who would go on to become a legend at AC Milan, was the undoubted star of the tournament, scoring seven goals in his four games in London. The Blagult’s most recent Olympic appearance saw them knocked out by Australia in the 1992 quarter-finals. Portugal Nickname(s): A Selecção, A Selecção das Quinas Association: Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF) Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (60) FIFA ranking: Current: 8 (2 June 2016) Highest: 3 (May–June 2010, October 2012, April–June 2014) Lowest: 43 (August 1998) First international: Spain 3–1 Portugal (Madrid, Spain; 18 December 1921) Biggest win: Portugal 8–0 Liechtenstein (Lisbon, Portugal; 18 November 1994), Portugal 8–0 Liechtenstein (Coimbra, Portugal; 9 June 1999), Portugal 8–0 Kuwait (Leiria, Portugal; 19 November 2003) Biggest defeat: Portugal 0–10 England (Lisbon, Portugal; 25 May 1947) World Cup : Appearances: 6 (First in 1966) Best result: Third place, 1966 Olympic Record The Portuguese have thrice reached the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament. They won their first ever match at the Olympics with a 4-2 victory over Chile in the 1928 preliminary round. Their most recent outing in 2004 saw the Portuguese fail to reach the knockout stages, despite a star-studded squad including Bruno Alves, Cristiano Ronaldo, Hugo Almeida and Beto. Calado scored the first Golden Goal in Olympic Men’s Football Tournament history. His 105th minute penalty eliminated France in the 1996 quarter-final. Iraq Nickname : Lions of Mesopotamia {Usood Al-Rafidain} Association: Iraq Football Association Top scorer: Hussein Saeed (78) FIFA ranking: Current: 102 (2 June 2016) Highest: 39 (October 2004) Lowest: 139 (July 1996) First international: Morocco 3–3 Iraq (Beirut, Lebanon; 19 October 1957) Biggest win: Iraq 13–0 Ethiopia (Irbid, Jordan; 18 August 1992) Biggest defeat: Turkey 7–1 Iraq (Adana, Turkey; 6 December 1959), Brazil 6–0 Iraq (Malmö, Sweden; 11 October 2012), Chile 6–0 Iraq (Copenhagen, Denmark; 14 August 2013) World Cup: Appearances: 1 (First in 1986) Best result: Round 1, 1986 Olympic Record Iraq achieved their best result at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in their most recent appearance, at Athens 2004. They upset the odds by defeating Portugal, Costa Rica and Australia to reach the semi-final and bronze medal match, losing to Paraguay and Italy respectively to finish fourth. Their previous appearances came during the country’s footballing golden era of the 1980s, their best finish prior to 2004 the quarter-final in 1980. 27 goals scored by Iraq on their road to Rio (AFC U-23 qualifying round and the tournament itself) was the best of the three qualified teams from Asia. Japan Nickname: Samurai Blue Association: Japan Football Association Top scorer: Kunishige Kamamoto (80) FIFA ranking: Current: 53 (2 June 2016) Highest: 9 (February 1998) Lowest: 62 (February 2000) First international: Japan 0–5 Republic of China (Tokyo; 9 May 1917) Biggest win: Japan 15–0 Philippines (Tokyo; 27 September 1967) Biggest defeat: Japan 2–15 Philippines (Tokyo; 10 May 1917) World Cup: Appearances: 5 (First in 1998) Best result: Round of 16: 2002 and 2010 Olympic Record Japan’s best showing at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament came at Mexico 1968, some 32 years after their opening appearance, where they grabbed a medal, seeing off the hosts in the decisive battle for the bronze. Kunishige Kamamoto grabbed seven goals on Japan’s way to third place, seeing him top the scoring charts as Shunichiro Okano’s side helped eliminate Brazil and France. They almost matched that showing at London 2012, notably seeing off Spain in the group stages, but were defeated 2-0 by Asian rivals Korea Republic at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in the bronze medal match. Mexico Nickname(s): El Tri (The Tri), El Tricolor (The Tricolor) Association: Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) Top scorer: Jared Borgetti (46) FIFA ranking: Current: 16 (2 June 2016) Highest: 4 (February – June 1998, May – June 2006) Lowest: 40 (July 2015) First international: Guatemala 2–3 Mexico (Guatemala City, Guatemala; 1 January 1923) Biggest win: Mexico 13–0 Bahamas (Toluca, Mexico; 28 April 1987) Biggest defeat: England 8–0 Mexico (London, England; 10 May 1961) World Cup: Appearances: 15 (First in 1930) Best result: Quarter-finals, 1970 and 1986 Olympic Record With a fourth place finish on home soil in 1968, Mexico’s best effort in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament up until London 2012, El Tri have not had the best success at this stage, beginning with their winless campaign in their 1928 debut in Amsterdam. However, their gold medal performance at the 2012 Summer Games put them back on the map after an impressive 2-1 win over Brazil in the final at Wembley Stadium.