On Monday, the Iranian wheelchair basketball team withdrew from the world championship currently taking place in Ottawa, Canada. The team, which won the bronze medal at the last World Championship, was unable to travel after four members of its delegation failed to receive their visas in time to enter the country.
RELATED:
Ten Stars of Women’s Basketball To Define the 2026 World Cup
Among those affected by the immigration delay were head coach Behrouz Soltani and his assistant. Although the twelve selected players and four other team members had obtained travel authorization, the absence of the key coaching staff forced the decision to withdraw.
Jalil Koohpayehzadeh, president of the Iranian Sports Federation for the Disabled, explained to the Tehran Times that the team had intended to participate in the championship but found it unfeasible to do so without part of its coaching staff. A day earlier, Soltani had noted that the application process had been handled correctly and expressed confidence that the permits would be granted.
These issues facing the Asian Paralympic delegation coincide with the ongoing political conflict between the United States and Iran, although neither side has so far established a direct link between the two matters.
The Rollers have hit the ground running at the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa
Take a look back at some of the action so far
#Rollers #WheelchairBasketball #ParalympicsAustralia pic.twitter.com/XBuRJ9ISi1
— AUS Paralympic Team (@AUSParalympics) September 14, 2026
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) confirmed the withdrawal after consulting with the Iranian federation and Canadian authorities. According to the IWBF, the applications for the four individuals remained pending. The international body clarified that decisions and processing times are the sole responsibility of Canadian immigration authorities.
The IWBF stated that it would subsequently review the consequences of the withdrawal in accordance with its regulations, acknowledging that a withdrawal so close to the start of the tournament has implications for the organization and integrity of the competition.
From a sporting perspective, the absence is significant due to the Asian team’s high level of competitiveness. The withdrawal has necessitated changes to the schedule for Group D, where Iran had been drawn alongside Canada, Germany, and Morocco.
As the withdrawal occurred just days before the start, the team was not replaced—reducing the number of participating squads from 16 to 15—and their matches are recorded as losses by default.
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian accused Washington and Tel Aviv of impunity in attacks on civilian populations during the BRICS Summit.
Pezeshkian emphasized the need to confront impunity and state-sponsored violence.#Iran #BRICS #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/y9em2wGetT
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 13, 2026
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.