Iran withstood a late fightback to beat China 79-70 and win the Asian Games menâÂÂs basketball bronze, an achievement that left their players âÂÂspeechlessâ after months of war back home.
China led 31-29 at half-time in Nagoya, but Iran took charge in the third quarter to lead 55-46 going into the fourth and held on to prompt wild celebrations and secure a place on the podium on Sunday.
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âÂÂTo be honest with you, IâÂÂm just speechless,â said 6ft 8in (203cm) power forward Arsalan Kazemi, who, in 2013, was the first Iranian to be drafted into the NBA by the Washington Wizards but never made a regular-season appearance.
âÂÂThe pressure that we had on us is just out of this world,â he added.
âÂÂNot 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.âÂÂ
âÂÂI just congratulate the people of Iran because they deserve much better.âÂÂ
âÂÂAnd I think my teammates and I put our hearts out on the court today just to get this win and make them happy,â Kazemi said.
Teammate Arman Zangeneh said the squad had been through a lot, but it was worth it.
âÂÂIf you get the medal at the Asian Games, you donâÂÂt need to go to the army any more, so itâÂÂs huge for some players,â said the 6ft 6in (198cm) forward.
âÂÂWe had a very tough two months. We went to the Philippines to play the qualifiers, then immediately we came here.âÂÂ
âÂÂIt was really difficult. And living in a container, with the food and everything, it was hard, very hard.âÂÂ
âÂÂIn the end, we got to the point where we go home with a medal, and it means a lot,â Zangeneh added.
Male athletes from the countryâÂÂs national teams who win medals at the Asian Games are granted exemption from mandatory military conscription in a move announced by IranâÂÂs former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2018.
Previously, only medallists at the Olympic or world games were exempt from the draft, according to IranâÂÂs semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Iranian males reaching the age of 18 are required to serve two years on active duty and are then transferred to the reserve force.