SALT LAKE CITY: Normally basketball is an afterthought for Iranian sports fans, given the popularity of soccer, weightlifting and wrestling.
But with Iran's national basketball team preparing for its first Olympic appearance in 60 years, that has changed.
But with Iran's national basketball team preparing for its first Olympic appearance in 60 years, that has changed.
"For every athlete, it is like a dream to participate in the Olympic Games — especially for us because basketball in Iran is not that ... important," captain and forward Samad Bahrami said. "Everyone is looking for you and taking care of you."
By beating Lebanon for the FIBA Asian Championship last year, Iran clinched its first Olympic basketball berth since 1948 — a different era for both the Olympics and the world. The '48 Games took place in London, which was still cleaning up the rubble left by years of bombing raids during World War II. Iran itself was only a decade removed from being known as Persia.
Sixty years later, Iran's relations with much of the West is strained. The team's success comes as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad deals with increasing pressure from world powers to freeze its uranium enrichment program.
1 comment:
I'm starting to get a complex as all this stuff took place 60 years ago when I was born. Look I'm older then Isreal and that's scary, as the church says the land was given to Israel by God. 1947 seems to be a very important year that changed the face of the World, not just the USA. Yes I know Jackie Robinson broke the color line in baseball and it was worse the a US Earthquake when that happen.
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