The CEO and head coach of the Battsam women's basketball team from Mashhad, which is set to represent Khorasan Razavi province in the new season of the national Premier Basketball League, attended a press conference with a group of journalists. This meeting was held at the Aban Hotel in Mashhad and focused on discussing the challenges and opportunities facing the team.
Challenges of the past season and financial status
The previous season of the women's Premier Basketball League ended with many interruptions and unusual conditions due to social unrest in the country. The Battsam team did not achieve a better rank than sixth after the departure of their American player, who scored about ٩٠% of the team's points. This departure occurred due to the issues faced by foreign players in Iran.
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The Battsam team faced many financial difficulties last season due to budget shortages, and even at the end of the season, they encountered challenges for travel expenses. Currently, it seems that the financial situation of this team has not changed significantly, and competing with teams that benefit from the support of companies and state-owned factories will be very difficult.
Hopes and future plans
Despite these problems, the CEO and head coach of the team spoke about their motivations to compete with other teams during this meeting. The head coach, Sahar Razazadeh, referred to the challenges in attracting national players and added that the existing budget for women's basketball in Mashhad is so low that it is only sufficient for the contracts of two national players. She also reported on meetings held with representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the governor of Khorasan Razavi, and the mayor of Mashhad to garner financial and non-financial support.
In this meeting, the head coach mentioned the promises made to utilize advertising boards in the basketball home arena, which could help secure financial resources. Given that the women's Premier Basketball League game will take place next Friday, utilizing these capacities seems essential.
At the end of this meeting, the Battsam club honored Ali Abdahad, a veteran basketball journalist from the Kouds newspaper. This action reflects the importance of media in informing and supporting women's sports.
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