Sahakian - It's full steam ahead for Iran

TEHRAN (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - Oshin Sahakian has experienced it all with Iran's national team.

The good and the bad.

Since 2007, when he made his FIBA Asia Championship bow and Iran captured the title for the first time, Sahakian and the national team have had mostly highs.

That triumph qualified the team for the Beijing Olympics and in 2009 they defended their Asian title and clinched a spot at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Turkey.

Iran captured their third FIBA Asia Championship crown in 2013.

"Of course our first title in Asia was the sweetest," Sahakian said.

"Then the repeat and then the third one.

But the first one [Asia Championship] was something else. I never forget that moment. - Sahakian

The Olympic Games experience was unforgettable, too.

"Every athlete's dream is to be an Olympian one day and walk in the Opening Ceremony and compete with the best in the world," Sahakian said.

"And the greatest feeling was walking in the [Olympic] village and meeting and greeting other athletes.

"The moment I walked in the Opening Ceremony, it was a huge and sweet feeling and one of the most memorable nights of my life.

"That is actually one of my motivations, to be able to experience that in Brazil also alongside my teammates."

To make it to Rio de Janeiro for next year's Olympics, Iran must win the FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China, a tournament that will be staged from 23 September-3 October.

A second- or third-place finish would put Iran in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

"The mindset for us is always the gold medal and qualifying directly for the Olympics," Sahakian said.

"After our close loss to Korea in Asian Games in Incheon [in 2014], we still think we have some unfinished business we need to take care of.

"Another thing that motivates us is that this may be our last dance, our last chance to play together with the teammates I grew up and played with the past 20 years.

"So all these reasons keep us motivated for the upcoming Asian Championship."

This summer, Iran have a new coach.

Dirk Bauermann was recently put in charge and so far, Sahakian says, everything has gone well. 

He is excited to play for the former Germany and Poland coach.

"We learned a lot also from our previous coaches [Rajko Toroman, Veselin Matic and Memi Becirovic].

"Each one brought something new to our basketball and coach Bauermann in these past weeks, it has been very comfortable. He is a straight to the point person with good teamwork and a defensive oriented philosophy.

"As a player, I can't say much about my coaches, my job is to listen and do whatever any coach tells me and try to be the best at it."

As for having to make adjustments to a new coach, Sahakian said: "I don't think changes affect us much.

"As I said, we got different things from each one of them and increased our level of basketball, had great time and memories with them so I thank them all."

There seems to be universal agreement that Iran were much better than their 1-4 record at last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain suggests.

The team lost to two sides that reached the podium in Serbia and France, and also fell to hosts Spain and Brazil - powerhouses in the game.

I believe also it was the toughest draw and I say this because we were also one of the strong teams in that group. - Sahakian

"I can say that we played well against all teams, especially against Serbia and France.

"The France game became close and we had the chance also to go to the next round.

"Maybe with more experience and a bit of luck, we would have won that game. The experience we got from the World Cup also was great and most definitely ,we will bring that to the Asian Championship."

Iran will not have it easy at the FIBA Asia Championship.

There will be some tough opponents.

"If we want to be champion, we have to beat all the teams," Sahakian said.

"It doesn't matter if we face them in the First Round, the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals or Finals."

Iran will encounter great players like Andray Blatche of the Philippines.

"Andray is great player," Sahakian said.

"I have seen him playing in the NBA and saw his games playing in China's CBA.

"Don't forget also that we have the best players in Asia also like Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Hamed Haddadi, Mehdi Kamrani, Hamed Afagh and a young generation of high level players like [Mohammad] Jamshidi, [Sajjad] Mashayekhi, [Arsalan] Kazemi, [Arman] Zangeneh and [Behnam] Yakhchali and we will be ready to play against all those teams.

"We look forward to play against all the teams and I am sure we will see great games and very good Asian Championship this year."

FIBA