I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y DECEMBER 23, 2019 SPORTS 15

Iran wastes time choosing Iranian rower Malaei wins second gold medal at 2019 the new head coach Asian Rowing Cup SPORTS — Iran foot- SPORTS TEHRAN — Iranian rower and national team deskball federation has yet to deskmember, Nazanin Malaei, won her second choose the new head coach for Team Melli gold medal in the 2019 Asian Rowing Cup in Pattaya, Thailand. and it seems to be such a waste of time. Molaei gained the gold medal in the final of lightweight single With three months remaining until the sculls on Sunday. The rowers from Kazakhstan and Vietnam restart of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qual- came second and third, respectively. ification, the Iranian federation has not She also had received another gold medal on Saturday in introduced the new head coach. women’s single sculls. Marc Wilmots left his role as coach of In Men’s Single Scull, Bahman Nassiri won gold on Saturday, Team Melli in early December, just seven followed by rowers from Thailand, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan. months after replacing at the The 2019 Asian Rowing Cup was held in Pattaya, Thailand helm of the three-time Asian champions. from December 18 to 22. Iran football federation and Wilmots’s con- tract is considered to be ambiguous and the deal will only serve the Belgian coach’s interests. The football federation has yet to answer Iran Claims Two Medals at the questions and has not yet appointed the Vovinam World Championship new head coach as well. Branko Ivankovic, who led Iran to the TASNIM — Iran claimed two medals at the 6th WVVF Vovinam 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, has been World Championship underway in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. heavily linked with a return to the post but Amir Khosh Kalam grabbed a gold medal after beating a rival two parties have remained silent. from Indonesia in the 77kg final. Iran will have four must-win matches in Soheil Nouri also won a silver medal, losing to an opponent late March and early June. from Algeria in the 82kg. Team Melli will entertain Hong Kong on The competition has brought 24 countries together at Phnom March 26 in Tehran and will meet Cambodia Penh’s Olympic Stadium from December 16 to 22. five days later in an away match. Vovinam, which first entered the scene in the late 1930s, is a Iran will face Bahrain and Iraq on June Vietnamese martial art that involves both armed and unarmed 4 and 9 in Tehran. combat. From Vietnam, the sport spread to other parts of the Team Melli sit five points behind leaders Iraq world. The sport is played and has a following in more than 70 in Group C but having played one game fewer. countries. The eight group winners and four best The tournament is being run by the World Vovinam Federa- runners-up will advance to the AFC Asian tion and Cambodia Vovinam Federation headed by Oknha Rat Cup China 2023 Finals and the final round of Sokhorn. The tournament is held every two years. qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The next best 24 teams from the second round of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remain- Hassan Yazdani will reach 2020 ing 12 slots in the 24-team AFC Asian Cup China 2023. Olympics, assures the surgeon

MNA— World and Olympics wrestling champion, Hassan Noorafkan: ‘We’re a big team with a big Iran’s Olympic qualification amongst Yazdani will undergo surgery on Monday, said an experienced knee surgeon who is going to perform the surgery. heart and a great dream’ ‘the top 10 moments in Asia for 2019’ “Yazdani suffers from an outer meniscus injury and he can start upper body training one week after the surgery,” Dr Sohrab Keyhani told Mehr News Agency on Sunday. Yazdani was injured during training for the 2019 World Wres- tling Clubs Cup held in Bojnurd, northeast of Iran, raising concern over his ability to participate in the 2020 Olympics. Keyhani assured that Yazdani will certainly reach the Olym- pics, noting that the wrestler will start full training six weeks after the surgery. “Fortunately, his cruciate ligament is fine and this will lead to a speedy recovery and return to training,” he said. Keyhani went on to say that the medical team will put all its efforts to prepare the renowned wrestler for the Olympics. Yazdani won the gold medal of 74kg freestyle wrestling in the 2016 Olympics. A year later, he changed his weight to 86kg and won the two world titles in 2017 Paris and 2019 Nur-Sultan. He is considered one of Iran’s main hopes to win a gold medal at the upcoming Olympics.

Omid Noorafkan believes desire best performance to date. The year 2019 will soon be behind us but the and fans never doubted their chances. They Iran Wins Asian Muaythai can help the Islamic Republic of But Noorafkan remains confident many big moments that happened over the beat the Chinese, 86-62, and then turned Iran achieve their dream at the AFC that when Thailand 2020 comes past 12 months will live strong in the memory. the Prince Hamza Arena into a big party Championships 2019 U23 Championship Thailand 2020 around in a little under three weeks’ Here is our top 10: with 86-80 triumph over the Tall Blacks. as Team Melli prepare to return to time, his side will be ready to chal- Japan win fourth consecutive Japan overcome superstar the tournament for the first time lenge the Continent’s best and fight FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Cambage and Australia TASNIM — Iran claimed the title of the International Fed- since 2016. for the title. With one stirring performance after an- Some might not have placed much val- eration of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) Asian Champi- The midfielder skippered the Cen- “Iran has always had good players, other, Japan won all five of their games in ue on Japan’s title wins at the FIBA Asia onships 2019. tral Asians as they advanced from a good staff and good coaches for their Bengaluru, including an impressive 74-64 Women’s Cups of 2017 and 2019 since giant The competition was held in in , the UAE from qualifying group that featured Iraq, U-23 teams, but the most important triumph over Australia in the Semi-Finals center Liz Cambage was not with Australia December 17 to 21. and Yemen after finish- things are discipline and organiza- and a 71-68 victory over China on September at the events. Well, she was with the Opals Iran claimed the title for the first time with 15 gold medals, ing as one of the best-placed runners tion,” noted Noorafkan. 29 in the title game. at the Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 10 silvers and eight bronzes. up in March to book their ticket to the “I’m sure this current team has Alvark Tokyo get redemption in Kuala Lumpur on November 17 against Kazakhstan became runner-up, winning 14 gold medals, three Continental competition, which also that and we’re going to Thailand to in Champions Cup the Japanese and the Far East team didn’t silvers and five bronzes. acts as the Olympic Games qualifiers. try and win all our games. Just one year after falling to Petrochimi blink, winning 82-69. Thailand finished in third place with nine gold medals and Four years ago in Qatar, when “Uzbekistan, Korea Republic and in the Final, 68-64, Alvark Tokyo celebrated China stun Australia 70-69 at four bronzes. Olympic qualification was also on China are all good teams. Uzbekistan the title themselves. Edged by Al Riyadi FIBA Women’s Asia Cup Over 600 representatives from 35 countries participated in the line, Iran progressed to the quar- are very strong on the counter-attack on Day 2, 77-75, the Japanese club struck In what most assuredly was one of the the 5-day competition. ter-finals before defeat at the hands and play with good wingers, while we back with a vengeance and beat the same best and most thrilling games in FIBA of Japan. After missing out on the expect Korea Republic and China to opponents in the Championship game on Women’s Asia Cup history, China and U-23 showpiece in 2018, they return play a fast game. But they also know September 29, 98-74. Australia traded blows on Day 3. Getting looking to go at least one better this all about Iran.” First-Ever Asia Cup Qualifiers a vintage Shao Ting spinning layup with Unfair US sanctions affecting time round a give themselves a chance Noorafkan has been on fine form Draw 5.9 seconds remaining, China edged it. Iran’s football: Sports Minister of appearing at Tokyo 2020. for Sepahan in his homeland during a The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers A 17,000-strong crowd roars “Our target is to qualify for the loan stint from parent club Charleroi, Draw that took place in Bengaluru, India, China to victory Olympics because we know this is a who he joined in 2018 after impressing on June 8 was an historical moment for The Wukesong Arena had had some MNA— Iran’s Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Masoud huge opportunity in our lives,” said with Tehran giants Esteghlal. basketball in the region. It was the first electric atmospheres when hosting big Soltanifar condemned the US sanctions against Iran which Noorafkan, who is currently on loan The 22-year-old is one of a num- time for such an occasion and it created a basketball games at the 2008 Olympics have led to FIFA’s failure to pay Iran its revenues. at Iranian league leaders Sepahan ber of players in Iran’s U-23 squad big buzz as the 24 teams discovered how and it sure was loud on the night of Au- “Unfortunately, due to unfair sanctions, FIFA cannot from Belgian side Charleroi. that have left Iran at a young age tricky their paths to the big event would be. gust 31, when China charged back from pay Iran’s revenues without the permission of the US De- “To make a big step such as reach- to join European sides and their Philippines basketball great Jimmy Alapag an early 6-point deficit and crushed Cote partment of the Treasury and the Iranian federation was ing the Olympics you have to first aim is to emulate those who have of the Philippines and Japa legend Asami d’Ivoire, 70-55. forced to borrow money from a domestic company to pay think about the short steps, which represented their country at youth Yoshida assisted with the draw. Japan overcome nightmare the salary of the [former] Team Melli head coach [Marc for us is the opening match [at the level and gone on to play at the Iran punch ticket for 2020 start to reach World Cup Wilmots],” said Soltanifar on Sunday in a meeting with AFC U23 Championship] against highest level. Olympics Japan’s hopes of making it to the FIBA Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani at the opening Uzbekistan. “I have already played some games A couple of heartbreaking defeats - Basketball World Cup looked dead in the ceremony of a sports exhibition in Tehran. “At tournaments, the first game in the Belgian league and there are 83-81 to Puerto Rico and 73-65 to Spain water they lost their first four games in He said that the Iranian football federation had always is always so important, so I have al- others such as Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Iran had led in the fourth quarter) - and the Asian Qualifiers yet they came to life paid salaries of coaches via its revenues at FIFA but after ready spoken with my teammates at Fenerbahce, Mehdi Mehdikhani a 79-67 setback to Tunisia left Iran with with a 79-78 victory over Australia. That imposition of US sanctions, this path has been blocked. about it and we are already looking [in Croatia] and Younes Delfi, also an 0-3 record heading into the Classifica- sparked an eight-game winning streak that The root of problems with payments to foreign coach- forward to it. at Charleroi,” said Noorafkan. tion Round. With their eyes on the prize culminated with a 96-48 win at Qatar on es including Marc Wilmots and Andrea Stramaccioni is “We are a big team with a big heart “In the past we’ve had good players of Olympic qualification, Hamed Haddadi February 24, the final victory needed to unfair US sanction ‘which have targeted football and the and a great dream. We will do our at youth level, such as Sardar Azmoun, and Co first beat Angola, 71-62 and then, seal a spot at China 2019. youth’, he said. best to become heroes.” , on September 8, thumped the Philippines, Thailand stage FIBA U19 Wom- It’s been some two weeks that Esteghlal coach Andrea In addition to the defending cham- and Kaveh Rezaei, and we can follow 95-75, to clinch a spot in the Tokyo Games. en’s Basketball World Cup Stramaccioni has left Tehran because of the inability of the pions Uzbekistan, Iran have been in their footsteps if we do well. Jordan upset New Zealand in last Thailand grabbed the opportunity to club to transfer money to his account. Although, reports drawn in a tough group alongside “This is the target of all the play- Asian Qualifier to reach World Cup host a world event for the first time since indicate that the problem has been solved and he may soon Korea Republic and China PR. ers and we think about these steps, Jordan had last played at a FIBA Basket- 2009 (when the country also put on the U19 travel back to Tehran. Team Melli have continually been but the first mission is the AFC U23 ball World Cup in 2010 and their chances Women’s Basketball World Cup) and put The same payment problem was seen in the case of Marc among the top teams in Asia at senior Championship and the Olympics. of making it to China in 2019 looked bleak on a great show, one that was capped by a Wilmots who eventually stepped down as Team Melli’s level in recent years, although they “We have a good team and are very when they entered the last window of the remarkable Final between Australia and the coach. According to the football federation, the coaching have failed to scale the same heights confident for this tournament. We Asian Qualifiers mired in a four-game losing United States. The USA claimed a 78-74 team’s salary has been cleared for one year. The federation at age group levels, with the quar- are ready for Thailand.” streak and needing to beat both China and overtime victory to win this year’s event. and the Belgian coach’s lawyers are still negotiating on ter-final appearance in 2016 their (Source: AFC) New Zealand in Amman. Jordan’s players (Source: FIBA) termination of the contract.