Iran claimed a record-extending ninth men’s Sitting Volleyball World Championship title on Friday, defeating long-time rivals Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16) in the final of the 2026 World ParaVolley Sitting Volleyball World Championships in Hangzhou, China.
The victory added another title to Iran’s record after previous World Championship triumphs in 1985, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2010, 2018 and 2022. It also marked another chapter in one of the sport’s most enduring rivalries, with the two sides meeting again in the World Championship final after contesting the gold-medal match in 2022 and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games final.
Iran controlled the opening two sets through its attacking efficiency and dominance at the net before Bosnia and Herzegovina fought back to take the third. The defending champions responded by limiting Bosnia and Herzegovina to seven attack points in the fourth set, sealing the title in one hour and 39 minutes.
Meisam Alipour led all scorers with 24 points, combining 13 attacks, seven aces and four blocks. Morteza Mehrzad Selakjani added 23 points, including 18 attacks and five blocks, while Sadegh Bigdeli contributed nine. Iran finished with 51 attack points, nine aces and 14 blocks, converting 53 per cent of its attacks. Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 43 attacks, four aces and 10 blocks. Mirzet Duran led the runners-up with 17 points, while Safet Alibašić added 16.
Kazakhstan completed its best-ever World Championship campaign by defeating Brazil 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 15-10) to claim the nation’s first medal at the tournament.
After dropping the opening set, Kazakhstan won the next two before Brazil forced a deciding fifth. Kazakhstan raced to a 5-1 lead in the decider and never relinquished control, closing out the victory after two hours and 34 minutes.
Perdebay Namuratov produced a match-high 38 points, including 32 attacks and five aces, while Erik Kaskabayev added 28 points. Kazakhstan outscored Brazil 70-52 in attacks and finished with 12 aces, overcoming Brazil’s 21-8 advantage in blocks. Gustavo Henrique de Jesus led Brazil with 33 points in defeat.
The United States finished fifth after overcoming Germany 3-2 (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 20-25, 15-10), with Zachary Upp scoring a match-high 37 points.
As hosts of the LA28 Paralympic Games, the United States had already secured qualification by reaching the top eight following the Round of 16. The two qualification places available through the World Championships were therefore awarded to champions Iran and runners-up Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Egypt completed the top eight with a straight-sets victory over Rwanda to finish seventh. Croatia claimed 11th place by defeating Iraq 3-1, while Ukraine secured 9th with a 3-0 win over Poland. China finished 13th ahead of Thailand, and Canada placed 15th after defeating Japan in the final classification match.