Iran make quick work of Tunisia

Dubai: Top-ranked Iran made their intentions clear from the outset with an emphatic 3-0 win against Tunisia on the opening day of the 12th Shaikh Rashid International volleyball tournament at the Al Shabab Club yesterday.

Iran, the highest-ranked among the six participating teams, breezed to a straight-set (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) in the tournament opener yesterday afternoon.

Lebanon and hosts the UAE were on court in the second match of the day, while arch-rivals India and Pakistan were to meet later last night in the third match.

Salah Bin Nasser, Vice-President, Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and President, Asian Volleyball Confederation, opened the tournament in the presence of Ebrahim Abdul Malek, Secretary General, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW); Dr. Ahmad Sa'ad Al Sharif, Secretary General, Dubai Sports Council; Amer Ali, President, UAE Volleyball Association and other officials.

With skipper Amer Hussaini, adjudged the man of the match, and Seyed Mehdi Bazargard in their ranks, the Iranians were ahead of their younger opponents throughout the encounter.

Hussaini has been the pivot of many an Iranian success in the past, while Bazargard has been a vital ingredient in the side that recently participated in the World Championships in Italy.

"You cannot derive anything from one match. The true character of the team will be known if they can continue winning throughout," Iranian coach Payman Akhbari said of his young team, guided by two seniors.