TEHRAN – Zahra Afshari, a promising 19-year-old goalkeeper for Iran’s national handball program, has signed a one-year contract with the Greek club Athinaikos H.C.
Athinaikos ranks among the notable clubs in the Greek Handball League and, in the coming season, will compete not only on the domestic front but also in the 2026–2027 European Cup.
The team, however, has started the season poorly, suffering a defeat in its opening match and sitting in 11th place in the 12-team table of the Greek Handball Super League.
Afshari, who is 19 years old, played an important role last year, with her standout performances in Iran’s youth handball team in the country’s championship at the Bahrain Youth Asian Games, making history with the team and winning the gold medal of that competition.