TEHRAN - Former Iran women's national basketball team head coach Eleni Kapogianni has opened up about her memorable yet challenging spell in charge, revealing that personal agendas within Iranian basketball ultimately convinced her to walk away despite the team's historic progress.
Now leading Chinese club Henan while also serving as head coach of the Lebanon women's national team the Greek tactician reflected on her time in Iran in an exclusive interview with Tehran Times.
What progress did Iran make under your leadership?
Eleni Kapogianni: First of all, I have to say that coaching the Iranian women's national team was a truly unique and unforgettable experience. I genuinely enjoyed my time there, and I believe we made significant progress during my tenure.
We put in an enormous amount of organized work on the court. It wasn't easy because my first task was to evaluate the players' basketball background, experience and overall level before adapting my coaching philosophy to fit their needs.
In many cases, I had to simplify my system to make sure everyone understood the fundamentals before gradually introducing more advanced concepts. We focused heavily on physical conditioning because international tournaments require teams to play back-to-back games. I wanted every player to be physically prepared, recover quickly and maintain a high level of performance throughout the competition.
At the same time, I emphasized basketball fundamentals because I felt that many of the players lacked a strong technical foundation. Developing those basic skills was essential before we could move to a higher level.
Just as important was building team chemistry. Basketball is not only about tactics—it's about creating trust, unity and a collective identity. Every coach has a different way of building that bond, and for me it was one of the key priorities.
The players lacked international experience and basketball knowledge, which made the job challenging, but what impressed me most was their willingness to learn. They were eager to improve, worked hard every day and fully committed themselves to building something special. Of course, there was always room for improvement, but at that stage I believe we helped the team reach its full potential.
For me, the greatest achievement wasn't just improving our basketball. It was building confidence. I wanted the players to believe in themselves, believe in their teammates and believe in our vision. Confidence is the foundation of every successful team.
I tried to inspire them to dream bigger, to understand that once you achieve one goal, you have earned the right to aim even higher. The culture and sporting environment in Iran are very different from those in Europe, but the players embraced the challenge.
In the end, the results spoke for themselves. The players performed exceptionally well, and I believe we laid the foundation for the future of Iranian women's basketball.
Why did you decide to leave Iran despite being admired and respected?
That's a very good question. To be honest, while I was in Iran, I worked with all my heart. I gave everything I had—my passion, my knowledge, my ideas and all my energy—to help the team and the players grow. One thing I'm especially proud of is that, during my tenure, the national team players received bonus payments for the first time. Before that, they had never received any financial rewards. I truly did everything I could, and I can honestly say I leave with a clear conscience because I know I did a good job.
As you mentioned, I was respected and appreciated by many people in Iran. However, as time went on, I realized something that is difficult to say, but it is my truth. There were people in influential positions within the federation, among some journalists and even within the team who were not genuinely interested in the development of Iranian basketball. Instead, they were more concerned about promoting themselves and putting their own names in the spotlight.
Those people made my job extremely difficult. Eventually, I reached a point where I felt that all the effort, I was putting in was no longer worth it because I wasn't happy anymore. I also believe that many people within the federation viewed our defeat to Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Women's Asia Cup Division B final as a failure. Personally, I completely disagree. In my opinion, at that stage there was simply no realistic way to beat Chinese Taipei. They were a much stronger and more experienced team.
What I do know is where we started and where we finished. When I took over, Iran was ranked 86th in the world. By the end of my tenure, we had climbed to 44th in the FIBA World Rankings, overtaking several European national teams that had traditionally been stronger than Iran. That achievement speaks for itself.
I am proud of what we accomplished together, and I have no regrets about the work we did. In the end, I decided it was the right time to move on because I was no longer enjoying the environment. I'm a professional coach, but I'm also a human being. I knew new opportunities would come, and they did.
Today, I am coaching in China with Henan, and I also serve as head coach of the Lebanon women's national team. There, I have been given complete trust and the freedom to implement my vision. The environment is totally different, and that is ultimately why I felt it was the right decision to leave Iran.
What are your thoughts on the future of Iran's women's basketball team?
Iranian women's basketball has potential, but there are several key areas that must improve if the national team is to continue progressing.
First of all, I have to acknowledge Mr. Javad Davari, the president of the Basketball Federation. As far as I know, he is the first federation president who has genuinely tried to support the women's program, and that deserves recognition. However, much more needs to be done if Iranian women's basketball is to reach the next level.
