Iranian volleyballer finds joy at Yaros
Calistus Kolantsho | Thursday April 16, 2026 16:46
The 25-year-old said he used to play volleyball at the junior level in Iran and, since turning professional, he wanted to come and experience a different style of volleyball in Botswana.
Alikhani highlighted that local volleyball has the potential to be the best, and there is room for improvement. The player revealed he will be in Gaborone for three months, with the possibility of extending his stay.
“There is a lot of talent in the Botswana National Volleyball League. I guess other things that will lead to the growth of the sport are the development of infrastructure,” Alikhani said.
“I admire Batswana for preserving the environment and for the public's attention to nature. Back home, we are in winter, when I arrived in Gaborone, it was hot, which I enjoyed a lot.”
Alikhani says the secret to success for any volleyball player is to have strong mental strength, discipline, and to continue training hard.
He added that with such focus, opportunities will open up for local players in other leagues across Africa.
Alikhani said Yaros' team manager, Driller Sibanda, was supportive because he experienced difficulties of leaving Iran, with his VISA being cancelled many times.
Yaros manager and owner, Sibanda, told MmegiSport that the plan is to officially unveil Alikhani today (Friday).
He said the connection with the player came through Amos, who proposed that Alikhani was available to join the team. “He has a short VISA, but we can see how to extend it when it comes to an end in three months. The future will depend on how we work together because this is also an exchange programme. Alikhani was a professional player in his country, but he was inactive for some time,” explained Sibanda.
“We are still monitoring his performance; at the same time, we do not want to put him under pressure because of what he has been through in his country. But he is a team player, and he is able to gel well with the rest of the squad.” For his part, Amos said during his stay in Iran, his focus was not only on athletics, as he was able to watch other sporting codes like volleyball, where he came across Alikhani, liked his height, and got in contact with local clubs.
He said the move could open doors for local players internationally.