In a press conference held in Iran’s Volleyball Federation’s Hall, the Russian coach said there is a hard task ahead of them to win a medal at the 2020 Olympic Games but they will do their best in Tokyo.

“There is no guarantee in sports. Everybody wants to be successful but I think it’s early to say we will surely secure a spot on the podium,” Alekno said.

“The Iranian players have problems in services and reception. In the match against Russia in 2021 VNL, we were at the same level with them for a while but they won the match due to their strong services,” he stated.

Iran has been drawn in Pool A along with Poland, Italy, Canada, Japan and Venezuela in the 2020 Olympic Games.

“Poland and Italy are a better team than Iran but we can be optimistic about our performance against the other teams. My tactic is to move forward step by step,” Alekno added.

“I don’t believe in miracles. I think you will win if you work hard. We have a difficult job in Tokyo,” he said.