President Lauds Iran Volley-Ballers Performance In WL

Tehran, July 15, IRNA – Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with the Men's National Volleyball Team players lauded their brilliant performance in Volleyball World League, calling for extension of the contract of the teams head coach Julio Velasco. Although Iran's volleyball team was placed in a difficult group, the players did their best, the President said. I believe in the capabilities of Iranian youth, he said. Sport now has turned into a manifestation of the Iranian nations liveliness and capability. On the teams defeat in their last game against Germany, he said, Your victory in the first game raised expectations, but I didnt expect you to win easily because your rivals were among the worlds best teams. He described defeating Italy's national team as a difficult work, adding, You could beat Russia in the first game, but you were anxious at the beginning and lacked enough experience for this great game. Sport is a complicated issue and success in it requires planning. He hailed Julio Velascos performance and called for extension of his contract./end