IRI/USA – FIBA lend helping hand as Olympic-bound Iran warm up in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (Olympics) - Iran earned the chance of a lifetime when they won the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship to clinch a spot at the Beijing Games.

Now they’re trying to make the most it by warming up for the Olympics in the United States.

Indeed, Iran are training in Utah and taking part in the Rocky Mountain Review against NBA and NBADL teams.

The relative newcomers on the international scene sought help from FIBA in their summer preparation program and basketball’s world governing body led them to Italy for both workouts and friendlies, then to Maribor, Slovenia, for the Alpos Cup and finally to the United States.

If the United States and Iran have not always seen eye-to-eye in the political world, those differences have been put aside with the Olympic spirit bringing the two countries together on this occasion.

"The training camp of the Iranian Basketball Team in the USA is not only a splendid occasion for Iranian Basketball to develop and prepare for the Olympics," said FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann.

"It is also another proof how sport can bridge gaps and help to develop a better understanding of different cultures and create friendship in the true essence of the Olympic spirit."

This summer is an important one for Iran because not only are they preparing for China, the Iranians are attempting to keep the momentum going from last summer when they snatched a surprise gold medal in Japan.

At the Olympics, Iran will be huge underdogs but the intense preparations and the exposure to different teams and competition will only make them better.

“It’s really exciting to be here,” said Iran coach Rajko Toroman.

“We are enjoying our participation and the way the program is organized.

“We are here to have a new, different basketball experience for our team and Iranian basketball.”

None of this would have been possible without the involvement of the U.S. State Department, who enabled the Iranians to have a smooth entry and stay in Utah.

The NBA have also been very accommodating, inviting the Iranians into the competition with open arms.

“This is a very organized and beneficial program for us,” said Iran’s national team manager Hassan Nourbakhsh.

“People received us here with a lot of friendliness and we look forward to hosting these kinds of teams in our country as well.”

FIBA