Iran wheelchair basketball team defeated Thailand and India in the U23 Asia Oceania Zone qualifying tournament for the U23 World Championships.
Iran wheelchair basketball team defeated Thailand and India in the U23 Asia Oceania Zone qualifying tournament for the U23 World Championships.
Iran defeated host Thailand 73-41 Monday morning and earned their second victory over India, beating the team 89-7.
Six countries are participating in the championship, which started on Monday in Bangkok, Thailand.
The six teams from across the Zone are competing for three spots at the U23 World Championships in Toronto this June. The competing teams are: Thailand, Iran, Australia, China, India and Japan.
Traditionally Australia, Iran and Japan have been favorites to win the tournament. However at the last Zone tournament China showed that they are also to be taken as a serious opponent when they defeated Japan in their final pool game but after a successful Kitakyushu Cup last December, Japan are expected to continue their strong form in the tournament in hope to guarantee them a place at the U23 World Championships.
The tournament promises to have high level games with many close results. A simple loss of concentration from any team could easily see them eliminated from the medal round and consequently miss the opportunity to go to Canada.