Iranian Volleyball Players Are Understandably Upset: FIVB Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - FIVB spokeswoman Anna Manuelian says Iranian volleyball players are understandably upset after their team was detained for more than four hours when they arrived at O’Hare International Airport.
Some Iranian players were forced to answer “nonsensical questions” one by one, while the Polish team was able to leave the airport immediately, no questions asked.
“Ahead of their arrival, the FIVB worked very closely with various stakeholders including the IOC, USOC and USAV to ensure that the Iranian delegation would have a smooth entry procedure. And whilst many of the Iranian delegation were not detained for an unusual period, those that were are understandably upset,” Manuelian stated in an email.
Manuelian said the Iranian team arrived safely at their hotel, and will play in the VNL Finals, which start Wednesday at Credit Union 1 Arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago. They practiced Monday afternoon at UIC.
Iran’s volleyball team is slated to play against Poland on Thursday and Brazil on Friday. Two out of the final six teams playing in the Finals will face off Sunday in the championship game.
