DOHA: Qatar says it wanted to make a point at the Asian Games in South Korea that not permitting Muslim women wearing the headscarf (hijab) to play basketball was unfair and the rule should be changed.
Qatar’s women’s basketball team had to forfeit a match at the Asian Games yesterday after players were denied permission to wear the hijab.
Qataris players were asked, in keeping with International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, to remove the hijab before their group match against Mongolia.
The players refused, saying it violated their religious beliefs and they wanted to send a strong message to the sport’s governing federation that the ban was unfair, international news
agencies reported.
However, not all members of the Qatari team were wearing the hijab, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).
The head of Qatar’s Women Sports Committee said her country’s women’s basketball team went to South Korea to take part in the Asian Games despite being aware of the headscarf rule.
“We knew about the hijab ban, but we had to raise this issue in front of the public. We wanted to make our presence felt at this key event,” said Ahlam Al Mana.
She was quoted by QNA as saying what happened yesterday would help develop Qatar’s women basketball team. “It would make them stronger.”
Reuters reported that a spokesperson for the Incheon Asian Games said that the organisers had no alternative other than to declare a forfeit because of the breach of rule.
“The technical official asked them (members of the Qatari women basketball team) to remove the scarf and they refused, so the game was forfeited by Qatar,” said the news agency.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), reported Reuters, said in a statement that it was the duty of sports governing bodies to protect the rights of competing athletes.
“The rights of the athletes must be the highest priority,” said OCA Director General Husain
Al Musallam.
“Our players were fully trained and ready to play,” Al Mana told QNA.
“We went to take part in the Asian Games to put pressure on International Basketball Federation that the hijab ban should be lifted,” she reiterated.
The Peninsula
