The Iranian head coach of the UAE national team: I would like my country’s national team to win the world championship/I will also participate in regular basketball

In an interview with the sports reporter of Fars news agency, Abbas Aghakocheki said about the grouping of the UAE World Cup: the draw for this competition was made and the teams’ confrontations were determined. First of all, I wish success to the national wheelchair basketball team of our country and hope that it will achieve what it deserves in these competitions. The national wheelchair basketball team of our country is a very good team, and if there were no personal problems for the players during the Tokyo Paralympics, Iran’s national team would have been able to get on the podium in the same Paralympics.

He added: Currently, the discussion of Covid-19 is over and I hope that with the addition of legionnaires to the national team, they will be able to showcase Iran’s wheelchair basketball skills in the world championships. This is my first wish that my country’s national team can get a good result in these competitions. Because I have worked hard for this team for many years and I would like to see Iran on the podium of the world championship because it deserves it.

* We ourselves chose to be in Group A of the tournament

The head coach of the UAE national wheelchair basketball team said about the draw of the world competitions and his fellow groups: Regarding the wrestling draw, I have to say that due to the seeding they had done and the teams from the same region could not be placed in the same group. Considering that the UAE is the host of these competitions, they gave this country an opportunity to choose which group it will be in. Group B was completed in the draw, we selected Group A. In our group, Australia is one of the good teams and needs no introduction. The teams of Italy and Brazil are among the good teams of Europe and South America.

* We are grouped with good teams and I hope we will play good games

Aghakocheki also said about the status of the UAE national team: The UAE national team, which I have been working with for several months, does not have a high position in Asia, and in any case, as the host, it has taken the quota to participate in these competitions. I hope we can show very good games in these competitions because we are among the top 15 teams in the world. The number of wheelchair basketball players in this country is very limited and there are no more than 4 teams, and we look to the future in this country.

He further added: “The current players of the UAE national team have a high average age and we should use these players, and our hands are closed to use young players.” My whole goal in these competitions is for the UAE to play worthy games in these competitions and for our country’s national team to perform very well in these competitions. I hope to be a worthy representative for my country.

* Playing basketball with a modern wheelchair was an important change that I was able to make in this team

The head coach of the UAE national team said about the changes that have been made in this team so far: The change that we have seen in this team is the familiarization of the players with basketball with modern wheelchairs and they are satisfied with this issue and only They need time to make a change. Tactical and technical change does not happen in a short period of time, because it is difficult. It is difficult to increase the power of passing and shooting, which is possible with long-term camps. Unfortunately, we could not have long-term camps during this time. Due to their jobs and activities in different clubs, they did not allow us to have long-term camps.

* The postponement of the world competition was an encouragement for our team

In response to the question, how useful was the postponement of the World Championships for you, he said: The postponement of the World Championships was an encouragement for the UAE national team because it was held at the scheduled time they had announced. We had nothing to offer. During the time when we finished the exercises, I talked with the officials of this country, who fortunately are reasonable people. I asked them not to just look at the results so that we can play reasonable and acceptable games as the host country. The UAE national team has lost the result to their opponents in the World Cup qualifiers in Thailand.

Aghakocheki further stated: The truth is that it is very difficult to play against good teams in the World Cup, but I have tried my best to bring about a change in the type of attack and defense organization of this team. In addition to all this, I try to improve the technical ability of the players. Players who are old and cannot be put too much pressure on them. It’s hard, but we tried to make some changes during this time. In the following, we look to the future so that we can have a good rejuvenation after the world competitions.

* After the world competitions, we will support the UAE

In wheelchair basketball, due to the limited population and their high standard of living, we have not been able to do anything about the talents during this time. I have also written the necessary correspondence with the officials of this country and said that according to the experience I had in my country, we can do good things, but the follow-up of these issues has been postponed until after the World Cup. I have done the initial steps to support their country’s national team and I have specified the names, but we could not do anything during this time.

* After the World Cup, I will enter regular basketball

Most of the wheelchair basketball players in this country are also 2 majors. Due to the limited community they have, they are either in Tarkaman, they are also present in basketball, or they are present in racing and basketball, etc., considering this issue, we are not very open to be able to carry out work independently. At the moment, all my focus will be on wheelchair basketball until the World Cup, and after the World Cup I will enter normal basketball as well.

* The Iranian national team is a great team and will reach the top 4 teams

The Iranian national team is a great team, Imam may have problems in the first round considering the teams in the same group except Iraq, but do not forget that the Iranian national team in the Tokyo Paralympics in the second half against the United States with only one shot and 2 We lost points. The American and English teams were always among the very good teams and it is impossible to predict what the result of these games will be, because there is a chance to win against these teams. If we lose, they will play their tough games in the group stage and easily reach the next stage of their opponents. Iran is definitely among the top 4 teams in the world and will reach the top 4 teams.

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