by Xinhua writers Zhang Zewei, Yuan Yukuan and Wei Hua
TIANJIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand defended the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship title in Tianjin but another team also left a lasting impression.
Iran created its best-ever result at the women's Asian Championship, a fourth place finish, to make another major breakthrough for women's volleyball in West Asia. For a team that has long lived in the shadow of its men's counterpart, the breakthrough came amid challenging circumstances.
Iran has long been a force in men's volleyball, while its women's team has remained relatively little known in Asia. Drawn into Pool A with China, Iran beat Chinese Taipei 3-1 and Iraq 3-0 to finish second in the group before coming from behind to defeat Indonesia 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Although Iran later lost to China in the semifinals and Japan in the bronze-medal match, the team's physical and resilient style proved one of the tournament's biggest surprises.
The breakthrough did not come easily.
"In the past, conditions for Iran's women's team were quite difficult. The support, training facilities and opportunities to compete were not ideal, especially compared with the men's team," said Iran head coach Alireza Toloe Kian.
He said Iran had hosted international men's volleyball competitions, including senior and age-group events, for more than two decades, giving the men's team more opportunities to compete with strong opponents, while the women's team has had far fewer chances to play international events at home and has relied more on overseas training and competitions.
The broader environment has posed an even greater challenge to the players.
"We are going through a difficult period, and some of our cities are still under the shadow of air strikes," Toloe Kian said. "But I always say that our female players are very brave. They are not afraid, and they have strong hearts. Despite the difficulties, they keep training every day and continue to aim high. I want to thank every one of them."
Iran opposite spiker Elaheh Poor Saleh Shahdehsari said the uncertainty outside the team had not disrupted its training.
"We usually get up around 8 a.m. and have breakfast and some coffee at 8:30. Then we train for about three hours in the morning. After lunch and some rest, we train again from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. After that, the rest of the evening is our own time."
Elaheh began playing volleyball at the age of nine under the guidance of her mother, a volleyball coach. She has since developed into one of Iran's key attackers and leading scorers. In Iran's 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Indonesia, she scored a match-high 29 points.
"Reaching the semifinals was a huge achievement for us," Elaheh said. "Everyone gave their best, and that is why we were able to come this far." Both Elaheh and Toloe Kian expressed their gratitude to the Iran Volleyball Federation and its president Milad Taghavi for their support.
In recent years, more resources have been put into Iran's women's volleyball program, including coaching, equipment and overseas training opportunities. Through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program, Iran has received support for South Korean coach Lee Do-hee as well as equipment and international training opportunities.
The development of Iran's domestic league and youth system has also helped broaden its talent pool. The Iran Women's Volleyball Premier League is an important platform for national-team scouting, while the federation has also stepped up efforts to identify young players. Around 1,000 players registered through the federation's national system for a U16 selection program, and 80 were invited to the first evaluation camp in Tehran.
"Volleyball is one of the most popular sports among girls in Iran, and more and more girls are playing it," said Iran outside hitter Fatemeh Khalili Chermahini.
Khalili started playing volleyball at the age of 10 after initially practicing taekwondo and earning a black belt.
"I fell in love with volleyball after I started playing it. One of the main reasons was that volleyball is a team sport, and I really like team sports."
Iran has also sought to learn from different volleyball traditions. Toloe Kian said Iran tends to study European teams such as Türkiye and Italy because their players are generally taller and have physical attributes closer to those of European sides. At the same time, the team also looks to leading Asian teams such as China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand, especially for their speed and agility.
From a relatively little-known team to a place in Asia's final four, Iran has made a breakthrough, but the players see it as only the beginning.
"Our dream is to qualify for the Olympic Games, experience competition at the highest level and represent our country," Elaheh said. ■
