(SI.com) | February 26, 2010
HOUSTON (AP) -The pressure is great on Rice’s Arsalan Kazemi, the first Iranian-born athlete to play NCAA Division I basketball.
The trailblazing 6-foot-7 freshman knows his performance could affect what opportunities other Iranian players might get in the United States.
“If I play good they’re going to go after other players in my [...]

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran are to prepare for their next World Cup qualifier with friendly games against Syria, Vietnam and China, the ISNA news agency reported quoted in local newspaper on Saturday.

The games against Syria will be played in Tehran on May 23 and Team Melli will face Vietnam and China in China on May 29 and June 1 respectively.

The Iranian Basketball Federation has invited the Utah Flash of the National Basketball Association Developmental League to play a few games in Tehran, NBA Commissioner David Stern said.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran appointed another national soccer team coach on Wednesday, replacing the coach who lasted two weeks.

Afshin Qotbi takes over a day after Mohammad Mayely-Kohan resigned after only two weeks on the job. Mayely-Kohan’s resignation followed a bitter dispute with another coach, state television reported.

Though the world’s attention has focused on Iran’s advancing nuclear program, Iranian scientists have moved to the forefront in embryonic stem cell research, according to a recent joint study by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Iranian star Mehdi Mahdavikia has warned the new national team coach, Mohammed Mayeli Kohan, that he has a big job on his hands.

Mayeli Kohan replaced Ali Daei last week and faces three vital games in charge.

FIFA has issued a warning to the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) after missiles were thrown at the recent World Cup qualifier between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

On March 28 in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, Iran took the lead in the vital match before eventually losing 2-1 to slip into fourth place in their group.

As Saudi Arabia’s players celebrated their winning goal, some fans out of 100,000 present made their feelings known in an unwelcome manner.

As the National Basketball Association’s regular season winds down, a cult hero has emerged on a last-place team with absolutely no chance of making the playoffs.

He’s Memphis Grizzlies rookie Hamed Haddadi, a 7-foot-2 center and the NBA’s first-ever player from Iran.