Hossein Saoudipour

Hossein Soudipour was a medical doctor and former basketball player and head coach of Iran's national basketball team. He was the former director of Iran's ministry of health before the Islamic revolution.

Basketball career

Hossein was a part of Iran's national basketball team at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, the first time that Iran's team qualified for the competition. He was also a member of the team when they won the bronze medal in the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi. He was chosen personally by the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to be on the team. The shah loved watching him play specially his sky hooks. His team still the only Iranian national basketball team that has won any games in the olympics. His favorite player of all times was Bob Cousy. He was the head coach of the Iranian national basketball team from 1966 until 1968.