Asian Games: Emotions run high as Iran win bronze in men’s basketball

Players celebrate podium finish that brings exemption from conscription, saying the pressure was ‘out of this world’.

Iran withstood a late fightback to beat China ۷۹-۷۰ and win the Asian Games men’s basketball bronze, an achievement that left their players “speechless” after months of war back home.

China led ۳۱-۲۹ at half-time in Nagoya, but Iran took charge in the third quarter to lead ۵۵-۴۶ going into the fourth and held on to prompt wild celebrations and secure a place on the podium on Sunday.

“To be honest with you, I’m just speechless,” said ۶ft ۸in (۲۰۳cm) power forward Arsalan Kazemi, who, in ۲۰۱۳, was the first Iranian to be drafted into the NBA by the Washington Wizards but never made a regular-season appearance.

“The pressure that we had on us is just out of this world,” he added.

“Not a lot of athletes can say that, with the way that it has been for almost six months, what we have been through, what our families have been through.”

“I just congratulate the people of Iran because they deserve much better.”

“And I think my teammates and I put our hearts out on the court today just to get this win and make them happy,” Kazemi said.

Teammate Arman Zangeneh said the squad had been through a lot, but it was worth it.

“If you get the medal at the Asian Games, you don’t need to go to the army any more, so it’s huge for some players,” said the ۶ft ۶in (۱۹۸cm) forward.

“We had a very tough two months. We went to the Philippines to play the qualifiers, then immediately we came here.”

“It was really difficult. And living in a container, with the food and everything, it was hard, very hard.”

“In the end, we got to the point where we go home with a medal, and it means a lot,” Zangeneh added.

Male athletes from the country’s national teams who win medals at the Asian Games are granted exemption from mandatory military conscription in a move announced by Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in ۲۰۱۸.

Previously, only medallists at the Olympic or world games were exempt from the draft, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Iranian males reaching the age of ۱۸ are required to serve two years on active duty and are then transferred to the reserve force.