Iran pull out of 2026 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships

Iran pull out of 2026 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships

TEHRAN - Iran’s national wheelchair basketball team will not travel to Canada for the upcoming Ottawa 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships after the visas of head coach and assistant coach failed to arrive in time.

Jalil Koohpayehzadeh, head of Iran's Sports Federation for the Disabled, said the federation had been determined to send the team to the tournament, but participation without the coaching staff was not possible.

“The team’s decision was to compete, but this cannot be done without the technical staff,” Koohpayehzadeh said. “The competition starts on Wednesday, and there is no longer enough time for the visas to be issued, as the process takes at least several days.”

He added that the federation has been in constant contact with the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) over the visa issue. According to him, the IWBF and the tournament organizers have made significant efforts to accelerate the process and understand the circumstances surrounding Iran’s inability to secure the visas.

He also expressed hope that Iran would not face sanctions or penalties for withdrawing, stressing that the federation had made every effort to participate and had followed the legal visa process.

Regarding qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, Koohpayehzadeh said the World Championship will determine the number of qualification spots allocated to each continent. With Iran unable to compete in Canada, the team will now face an even tougher route to securing an Asian quota place.

“We have to beat all the Asian teams to secure the continent’s quota,” he said.

source: tehrantimes.com