Iran secures victories in esports and handball at Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

Iran achieved notable successes in the opening stages of the Nagoya 2026 Asian Games across esports and handball.

The Iranian national esports team secured a 3-0 aggregate victory against Saudi Arabia in the eFootball group stage. Abolfazl Aghaei Nasab won his eFootball Mobile match 2-0, while world gold medalist Hassan Pachani defeated Abdulaziz Al-Johani 1-0 in the eFootball PC category. Despite the victory, reports noted organizational issues, including a two-hour delay and restrictions on media and coaching staff access to the venue.

In handball, the Iranian national team advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Kazakhstan 28-23 in their final group stage match. Led by head coach Nenad Klic, the team maintained control throughout the game, leading 16-13 at halftime, to secure their position in Group B.