The success in the national team roots from having active leagues, an interview with Talin Tahmasian, Head of IRI Women's Referees and Competition

Can you provide us a general outlook on attitudes towards women's basketball in Iran?

With the new managerial team and the positive and developmental outlook of the new president, Dr. Ramin Ahmadi Tabataaei, Women's department has been experiencing glorious days in Iran Basketball Federation. Implementing a separate department for referees and competition to better organize women's activities was one of the major changes in the new management period and it lead to a great reform of women's super league competitions in a professional and standard form.

You mentioned some measures on having standardization. What are the measures taken in this area?

Standardizing the league setting is consisted of providing all the required technical infrastructures, as an example, there are obligations on having standard court, scoreboard, shot clock, digital score sheet. Moreover, all the games held in each of the different leagues are completely video recorded in order to be archived and used for the teams to do their analytical assessments along with technical evaluation of the referees and statisticians' performances.

Countries with the perspective of developing basketball, especially in women, mostly hold their leagues in different levels and series of competitions. Does the same rule apply to IRIBF women's basketball?

We have active, professional and organized leagues in different levels in Iran in five levels of U16, U18, second division, first division and Super league.
In addition, we have a parallel 'National Women's Championship' in which athletes from all the 32 provinces have their own representative team in different levels of Mini basketball (U13), U14, U16, U18 and U23. Moreover, 3x3 competitions are held in U18 and U23 levels along with the senior competitions.
How do you think these potentials have supported the recent achievement of national team?
I believe the success in the national team roots from having active leagues. More importantly, having a rich and active fundamental training along with organized competitions would support the national team. For example, in our women's super league, we have so many young professional players and it would be a great experience for them from very young ages.
Considering the FIBA approval on our Hijab, we could get the official confirmation on attending FIBA competitions, this lead to more attentions from better sponsors in women's basketball in Iran.
Considering that you also are head of the referees' departments, what are the taken measurements in this area?
Apart from the regular seminars before and during the league for the referees and commissioners which is a normal trend within these two years, various rule books and manuals are translated into Persian and electronically published on IRIBF website for public use, such as: FIBA Officials rule, FIBA Officials interpretations, FIBA 3x3 Rules and interpretations along with FIBA Statisticians Manual.
In addition, as of this year with the introduction of FIBA digital score sheet as a replacement for score sheets, all the competitions are using the digital version and the table officials are properly trained to the extent that in world cup window 5 and FIBA Asia cup women table officials were introduced to FIBA.
The Stats department is also a sub division for the referees in IRIBF in which we had many eye-catching achievements. It is the second year that all our women's super league competitions are having live statistics with the FIBA Live Stats V7. Our women statisticians are also working professionally, having their own organized workshops before the start of the league along with online weekly meetings to keep updated and have successfully participated in international competitions.

How are the activities going on with the COVID-19 pandemic in IRIBF these days in women's department?

Almost all the women's leagues started around October and are all in their final round; U16 and U18 with eight teams each, second and first division with ten. Regarding the super league competitions, which started with 12 teams, fourth place went to Palayesh Naft Abadan, and third to Namino Isfahan. As for the final series, there is only one game left between Bahman Group Tehran vs. Banovan Shahr Gorgan in a best of three in which Bahman Group leads the series 1-0. Unfortunately though, the second game coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and is supposed to take place after the issue is hopefully well resolved.

Any final words or points you would like to mention?

I hope by doing my best in upholding leagues' levels, I can have my contribution in promoting my country's women's national team and wish them the best of luck have the chance to promote from division B to A in the near future. I believe FIBA's positive focus on Iranian basketball players especially girls would serve as a great motivation for them to acquire what they deserve.