NILOUFAR ARDALAN IS one of the stars of Iranian women’s football, and captains the side to boot.
The national team are currently competing in the inaugural Asian Football Confederation Futsal Championship in Nilai, Malaysia, opening the tournament with a 6-0 defeat of Hong Kong on Monday and a 9-1 drubbing of Uzbekistan yesterday.
The captain is not there however because her husband – sports journalist Mahdi Toutounchi, refused to sign papers to allow his wife’s passport to be renewed.
Under Iranian law a man has the right to prevent his wife from leaving the country, and the player herself has been quick to express her disgust with the laws.
“These games were very important to me,” she told Nasimonline, according to news.com.au. “As a Muslim woman, I wanted to work for my country’s flag to be raised (at the games), rather than traveling for leisure and fun.”
She added: “I wish authorities would create [measures] that would allow female athletes to defend their rights in such situations.”
Breaking silence is a dangerous move for Ardulan in a country that is notoriously backward in its treatment of women:
- Female Iranian athletes are all but barred from participation in the Olympic Games.
- Iranian women are allowed to compete in sports that require the removal of the hijab (a veil that covers the head and chest), but only in all-female arenas.
- Women cannot wear Lycra as it is apparently too form-fitting and revealing. Female Iranian rowers have in the past been forced to wear their hijab secured by a hat, baggy tops and tracksuit bottoms.
- The ‘football revolution’ in Iran in 1997 saw hundreds of Iranian women storm a stadium from which they were banned after the men’s team qualified for the 1998 World Cup. Since those events many restrictions on women in the country have been restored and tightened.
Gender equality activists hope Niloufar Ardulan’s case will highlight the severe problems surrounding female sporting participation in the extremely conservative state.
The ref who was having a fine game just threw it all away with that free at the end. Never a free in a million years.
Very soft free at the end
Looking forward to this one – should be a cracker. I fancy Cuala to do it given that Na Piarsaigh have two lads suspended
I would have put my house on that free being saved.
Player held the opponents hurl..had to give free.