Iran Wins Asian Water Polo Silver with Contribution from Institute Faculty Member

Scientific achievement alongside sporting glory — Iran’s national water polo team secured the runner-up title at the 2025 Asian Aquatics Championships with the impactful presence of Dr. Saber Mehri, faculty member of the Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences.

According to the Public Relations Office of the SSRI, Iran’s national water polo team achieved an outstanding success at the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships, held in Ahmedabad, India, by earning the title of Asian runner-up.

Dr. Saber Mehri, a member of the Sport Psychology Department at the Institute, played a key and influential role as the team psychologist for Iran’s national water polo team during this championship—a testament to the integration of academic expertise with high-performance sport in the country.

On their path to the final, the Iranian team defeated China (14–9), Hong Kong (22–10), Uzbekistan (28–7), Thailand (21–6), and Japan (19–18). In the thrilling final match, after a tied score of 11–11 in regular time, Iran narrowly lost to China 5–4 in the penalty shootout, winning the silver medal and becoming the Asian runner-up.

This result marks the second Asian silver in Iran’s water polo history and stands among the best achievements of the discipline in the past two decades.

The Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences congratulates the Iranian sports community on this remarkable accomplishment and reaffirms its support for the active involvement of its academic members in national teams, considering such collaboration a vital step toward practical application of science in elite sports.