Two teams from Iran will represent Asia at the upcoming 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship as Foolad Sirjan and Shahdab Yazd occupied the top spots in the continental championship, which came to an end on Sunday.
Foolad and Shahdab benefited from the homecourt advantage to advance all the way to the gold medal match of the tournament held in Yazd City, Iran. In the final, Foolad triumphed 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-23), securing the continental title for the second time, following a victory in 2021. It was also the ninth time an Iranian side triumphed in the last 11 editions of the tournament.
Awarded as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Foolad’s opposite Ali Hajipour celebrated the recognition and his return to the courts in the event.
“The title I achieved in this competition is valuable to me because I returned to the court after 15 months and was able to overcome negative thoughts,” he said. “Everyone thought I wouldn’t return, and that if I did, I would be at half of my previous condition. But I always said that when I returned, I would be not only as good as before, but even better, and I was able to prove this claim in these matches.”
