VNL: Iran Thinks About First Match, Not Title: Igor Kolakovic
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran national volleyball team coach Igor Kolakovic says that they have to think about the first step and the first match, not about the title.
Iran will face Poland Thursday night in Pool B and meet Brazil one day later in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) final round.
Team Melli is aiming to win its first world-level title, and it’s up for the challenge. However, it’s not looking ahead to a title match, but to do well in Pool B and its first match on Thursday against Poland, according to the coach.
“We come here to fight against everybody, but we have to think about the first step and the first match, not about the title,” Kolakovic said. “We have to think about step-by-step, not so far ahead.”
Kolakovic feels the team’s ability to train together ahead of the VNL preliminary round and its ability to stay healthy was a key factor in Iran’s fast start.
“I think after the club season, some players had a really good rest and that helped,” Kolakovic said.
“We started to train about one month ahead without any problems or injuries. We made good shape, and after that, especially in the beginning we played really well. After that a lot of travel and a lot of games without so much time for good practice.”