TEHRAN (Iran) - Iran have named an 18-player roster that will be preparing for their upcoming games in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers.

The pool is filled with the big-named stars of Iran basketball whether it’s Hamed Haddadi, Samad Nikkah Bahrami, Mohammad Jamshidi, Arsalan Kazemi, and Behnam Yakhchali. Two recent key additions to the team’s core, Mike Rostampour and Aron Geramipour, are also listed in the roster.

Rising youngsters are also named to the squad whether it’s Sina Vahedi, who has already made his senior national debut in the previous windows, or Matin Aghajanpour, who has starred for Iran’s youth national teams in the past.

The team will be led by head coach Mehran Shahintab as they aim to top Group E and claim direct qualification to Asia Cup 2021.

There are 24 teams competing in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers. Once the three windows of the Qualifiers conclude, the top two teams in each group will qualify directly to Asia Cup 2021. The six last-placed teams in each group are eliminated. 

Meanwhile, the six third-placed teams in each group will then play in a separate qualifying tournament. Teams will be placed into two different groups of three teams. The top two teams of those respective groups will then lock in their spots at Asia Cup 2021, completing the 16-team roster who will also compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers.

Currently, Bahrain and Lebanon have already qualified for FIBA Asia Cup 2021 through the Qualifiers. Indonesia are also already qualified as the confirmed hosts of FIBA Asia Cup 2021.

FIBA