Iran on a mission to reach Brazil

TEHRAN (2016 Rio Olympics) - Iran's failed attempt to reach the top of the podium at the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in order to qualify for the Olympics has not dampened the enthusiasm of the players or coaches of the national team.

If anything, the third-place finish at the event that was staged in Changsha-Hunan has created more of an appetite to play in the big tournaments for Dirk Bauermann's side.

We have two goals ahead of us. First, we are going to try to advance to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games since I believe that we still have a chance to qualify for the event. This is our short-term goal; however this is not an easy task. Also, we are going to participate in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. This is our long-term goal. - Bauermann

Bauermann's side fell to hosts China, 70-57, in a tense Semi-Final in Changsha-Hunan, but rebounded with a 68-63 victory over Japan in the Third-Place Game. It's always good to leave the tournament on the back of a win.

On 26 January, Iran will discover in which of the three six-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs) they will play in and who their opponents are. That's because the draw for the tournaments are to be held at the House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

Iran's five opponents will come from the following list of teams: Angola, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia and Tunisia. Italy (Turin), the Philippines (Manila) and Serbia (Belgrade) are hosting the OQTs. Only the winners of each OQT will clinch places in Rio. 

"We want to be well-prepared for the tournament. We want the Iranian people to be proud of their team," Bauermann said in remarks published by the Tasmin News Agency.

FIBA