Age Is Just a Number: Nikkhah Bahrami


Age Is Just a Number: Nikkhah Bahrami

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran basketball forward Samad Nikkhah Bahrami believes that age is just a number and the performance of players on court is what matters.

Iran will be up against Qatar on June 29 in Doha and Kazakhstan on July 2 in Tehran in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers first round.

 “We have no fear and we will fight. This is the nature of sport and I believe Iranian players have this feeling in their DNA,” Iran’s veteran Nikkhah Bahrami said in an interview with fiba.basketball.

A longstanding powerhouse of Asia, Iran has had an eventful first round so far at the FIBA Asian Qualifiers. After putting young talent on the forefront only to lose the opening game against Iraq, Iran has gone back to tried and tested veterans to get its World Cup qualification bid back on track.

Returning to the national team in the second window, the 35-year-old Samad Nikkhah Bahrami along with seasoned center Hammed Haddadi have turned back the clock. So much so that Iran is now at the top of Group D, with a 3-1 record.

But Samad is unfazed.

“I strongly believe age is just a number and the performance of our players on court is what matters,” he said.

Iran has qualified to the last two World Cups, finishing 19th and 20th. This time around it will be looking to improve its final standing.

“Every team will give their 100% in the World Cup. I can guarantee we will go as hard as we can. The World Cup can be a very important fuel for Iranian basketball among the young and veterans, and I think this motivation can change anything.”

In the upcoming final window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers first round, Iran will be up against Qatar on 29 June in Doha and Kazakhstan on 2 July in Tehran. Samad is ready for battle.

“Other windows were placed during the (pro) season so we couldn’t get ready for the national team games. While we beat both teams in the last window and we respect them, the fact is that they will have to be ready for a very different Iran national team,” he said.

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