FIBA Names Iran’s Haddadi Asia’s Top Defender

Date: 31 December 2017 - 20:49

News ID: ۴۸۳۱۰

TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran’s National Team of Basketball defender Hamed Haddai is the best defender in the field in the Asian region according to the statistics and reports rolled out by FIBA.
On the closing of the year of 2017, FIBA - the International Basketball Federation - issued a list of the five best defensive players who saw action at either of the two biggest continental events in 2017 - the FIBA Asia Cup in August and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers in November.
These rankings are based on the defensive statistics (defensive rebounds, steals and blocks) compiled from both these tournaments, with the top three frontcourt players and top two backcourt players making the list.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Haddadi led the tournament with the highest average blocked shots per game and rebounds per game, the latter by a wide margin.
The 32-year-old center helped Iran win Asian Championship three times in 2007, 2009, 2013.