Hijab in Sport and Unhelpful Media Biases

BY: SHIREEN AHMED

One of the most exciting aspects of the Olympic Summer Games 2012 was that every participating nation sent in women athletes as part of their delegations. Media faithfully reported on the successes and stories of “hijab-clad” women participating in the London Games, the most prestigious sporting event the world of athletics has to offer.

Women who cover having a choice to participate in sport and represent their countries is definitely a global “win” for women and girls. They can be role models for active and healthy, provide leadership and mentorship, inspire and represent a truer sampling of the population. But does it also propel society’s obsession with hijab and Muslims women’s clothing?

Normalizing and including athletes who wear a headscarf, is important in the realm of sport, most of which has been dominated by athletes from privileged, Western countries.

Despite the attention, this was not the first Olympics in which Muslim women have participated nor have important history. There is quite a wonderful and relatively unknownOlympic and sporting history of Muslim women’s participation, dating back to mid-twentieth century. In fact, the first Muslim woman to win a gold medal was Nawal El Moutawakel, almost 30 years ago at the 1984 Summer Games in los Angeles. Ms. El Moutawakel is now an active and senior member of the International Olympic Selection Committee. There were also a large number of Muslimah athletes and first time Olympians (not all headscarf-wearing) with exceptional stories of determination, performance and passion for their sport. Amazingly, Turkey sent more female athletes to the 2012 Games than they did male athletes – most of whom do not wear a headscarf to compete.

However, there seems to be a bias from media and incessant focus on hijab-wearing athletes.

There have been many, many Muslim women competing in athletics at an International level in various tournaments and competitions — most of it, unreported.  Sertac Sehlikoglu, a PhD candidate in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge and my colleague atMuslim Women in Sports , has argued that a disproportionate amount of media attention has been garnered by hijab-wearing athletes over their non-covered Muslim sister athletes:

“Particularly in the international media, there is a focus on Muslim athletes wearing the hijab and that has been to the detriment of non-hijab wearing athletes. For example, there was a disproportionate focus on the Saudi athlete [Wojdan Shaherkani- KSA] who took part this year even though she was was only a blue belt in Judo and was trained by her father”.

Ruqaya Al-Ghasara. [Source].

Many Muslim women athletes may have been relatively ignored by media until due to the fact that participating members did not wear hijab, despite representing countries with a Muslim majority. Bahrain’s Ruqaya Al Ghasarawas the first women to represent her country in head-to-toe hijab in 2008.

She is certainly not the only Muslim woman to succeed in Track and Field events. Habiba Ghribi competed and was also used heavily as a political tool and pawn by post-Arab Spring political movements in her home country of Tunisia. But that story is far less appealing than that a woman running while wearing hijab. Nor does Ghribi’s appearance highlight western society’s obsession with Muslim women’s choice of clothing. In fact, Habiba Ghribi, like many of her fellow athletes, does not wear hijab, yet she is also Muslim.

In mainstream media, it seems far more desirable to post pictures of covered women competing alongside less covered women.  Perhaps it provides Western media outlets a sense of self-congratulation that they are accepting and including identifiably Muslim women in their coverage. History will tell us that using hijab-wearing athletes to represent all Muslim women athletes is unfair and unrealistic.

Without diminishing the importance of inclusion of hijab in sport – which is absolutely necessary – it is important to recognize when and how the distinction is made between the needs of hijab-wearing athletes and non-hijab-wearing athletes. Issues of concern for both are similar: fighting cultural expectations, low funding from state, lack of support and exposure from community, outdated facilities etc.

We understand that clothing should not be a deterrent or obstacle for women to participate.  This summer, the politics of hijab in sports were very heavily considered, particularly as the International Football Association Board struck down a very criticized and exclusionary hijab ban.  As an ardent football supporter and player for 30 years, I know firsthand that a huge barrier to women and girls playing soccer in North America in proper leagues for the last 20 years has definitely been due to the strict adherence to clothing regulations. I, as much as anyone, was elated when a prototype for hijab was allowed in FIFA sanctioned play.

Habiba Ghribi. [Source].

But to gain media notoriety for wearing hijab while would actually be counterproductive as a Muslim player. My intention while playing is to please God and keep my body in shape. It is also to persevere and win — regardless of what my uniform looks like. I have played with many Muslim women, and the goals and objectives are the same for all of us, irrespective of whether we wear hijab. It would also be disingenuous to separate me from fellow Muslimah athletes, a forced separation induced by media.

When I was excluded from competitive football clubs as a result of my decision to wear hijab, I played in a very supportive league for Muslim women. Although it was not secluded, it was segregated; it provided female officials and discouraged – but did not outright ban – male spectators. It was in public and the players were comprised of women from 16 years of age and up, a multitude of skill levels and ethnic backgrounds. We were all players, hijab or not. No judgement. No distinction.

Muslim women in sports are still in a minority. There is much need to continue to foster women’s comfort and access to sport for entire Muslim communities and their needs.Female-only clubs and leagues or global sporting events have proven to be successful and encouraging and pioneering in most cases and have helped encourage Muslim women to be more active and fit.

“As Muslims we were not happy that Muslim ladies were not involved in international events,” Faezeh Hashmi, organizer of the Muslim Women’s Games, explains. “We wanted to bring them out of their isolation and bring them out in the arenas; to give them the right to compete.”  These events and initiatives support choice of clothing, access to facilities,  proper instruction, safety and privacy with lack of intimidation.

Although there may be allowability and a much appreciated sense of welcome for Muslim women in hijab to compete, there are still those who wish to participate in segregated environments. For some it’s to not compromise on their personal beliefs and for some it may also be shyness and possibly modestly. I train in a women’s-only facility and although I am most welcome at the co-ed gym with my hijab, I prefer to exercise and train in the privacy of a women’s-only environment. Many women (Muslim and non-Muslim alike) share similar opinions.

I recognize that I am fortunate to have the resources and opportunity to make that choice. Having athletics as a huge part of my life is a privilege and an option many women do not have.

While lauding an athlete’s decision to wear hijab while competing is far more prefered than berating it, exploiting her situation and distinguishing her from other Muslimah athletes is unjust, particularly when “hijab in sport” is still far from being a universally accepted idea, mainly in parts of Europe, despite international bodies regulating the practice. This is a topic that generates much (read: unwanted, unnecessary) discussion. It often centers around how athletes are perceived by others and reduces the athlete to her outfit. It has no relation to accomplishments, struggles and journey as an athlete and is divisive.

“In this media coverage, whether on TV, radio or on paper, there is emphasised focus on veiled images of Muslim women which can be seen as another way of sexualising women, though through veiling in this case,” says Sehlikoglu. Embracing female Muslim athletes is important. To support their right to play, participate and grow is not dependant on the amount of clothing they may wear. Focusing on more pressing issues such as barriers to safety, access and other systems of support is far more important.

As Muslimah athletes push forward in their accomplishments, understanding is essential.  If you’re going to stand with us, represent us in mainstream media, report our stories – then report on all of us. Not on the ones of a glossy, ready for production move that perhaps can be translated into “a Muslim woman being ‘free’ to compete,” despite hijab, oppressive and patriarchal-background story-line or a sexualization of our identities.

We all work the same and sweat the same – hijab or not. We’re all sportswomen, all athletes.

Originally Posted: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mmw/2013/03/hijab-in-sport-and-unhelpful-media-biases/

Interview with Kohistani by MWIS Blog available on Youtube

Here is an interview with Tahmina Kohistani, Aghani sprinter and the only female Olympian from Afghanistan participated London Olympics. The interview was conducted during London 2012 by Sertaç Sehlikoglu, MWIS blog.

This video is part of short documentary series which are produced in collaboration with Maslaha, a UK-based NGO working for Muslim communities in the UK and Ms Zeynep Yildiz, an independent filmmaker.

The interview is also part of my research project.

Photo Credit: www.telegraph.co.uk 

Raising An Olympian - NEVIN YANIT

P & G represents series about the mother behind Olympians of London 2012. 

Iranian Female Athletes Find Their Way

By Leila MOURI

At this summer's London paralympics, Iran's Zahra Nemati won an archery gold, becoming the first Iranian woman to win a gold medal at any Olympic Games. In an interview with the Tehran Times, Nemati said that the lack of facilities did not (and does not) prevent Iranian female athletes from succeeding in sports.

In many respects, her statement is a half-truth. Since 1979, Iranian sportswomen have faced many obstacles in order to participate in international competitions -- especially since both government and international organizations have designed and implemented policies that stand in their way. As an immediate example, recall what happened to Iran's national football team, one of the best squads in the Middle East. In 2011, FIFA disqualified the female soccer team from entering Olympic competition. FIFA pointed to the to thehijab uniform the athletes were obliged to wear, deeming them a breach of the association's dress code and promoting of religious symbols in international competition. Female footballers had no choice in this matter: not only did their government impose the headscarf, but FIFA also prevented them from participating because of this headscarf.

Caught between Iran's state policies and international regulations, Iranian women have lost many opportunities in the field of sports in the past three decades. With the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, unveiled women were banned from entering the public sphere. After this ruling, many women's sports teams were disbanded. Radical ideologies and conservative beliefs put a stop to the athletes' activities in the first years after the Revolution. Traditionalist clerics believed that women's participation in any sort of sport was contrary to Islamic teachings.

In the 1990s, Faezeh Hashemi, President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's youngest daughter, launched a campaign advocating women's sports. After meeting in Qom with Grand Ayatollahs, high-ranking clerics in charge of issuing fatwas for Shi'a Muslims, she endeavored to recreate a community of female athletes for the first time since the revolution in spite of the heavy-handed criticism from conservative government officials. Her opponents went so far as to call her a faheshe, meaning "prostitute" in Persian -- even though she was a believer, a high-ranking cleric's daughter, and a wearer of the chador. Faezeh Hashemi's efforts culminated in holding the first female-only sports competitions for Muslim countries in Tehran for the years 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005. However, no more events have been held since 2005. President Ahmadinejad's administration dissolved the Islamic Federation of Women's Sports, Iran's governing body in charge of organizing the competition which had Hashemi as its head. However there were the rumors that this decision was made in order to dismiss Hashemi from her position.

As a result of compulsory hijab restrictions and rising international regulations, Iranian women athletes tended to participate in sports which did not subject them to the same legal provisions in international competitions. Archery was one such sport (martial arts, such as judo and wushu, car racing, rowing and chess are among the sports that Iranian women play professionally, mainly in recent years.) Archer Lida Fariman was the first Iranian female athlete to participate in the Olympics since the 1979 revolution. She was also the only female athlete on Iran's Olympic team at the 1996 Atlanta games.

Although many barriers still remain, Iranian female athletes vow to compete with their fellow sportswomen from other countries. Their presence in sport tournaments, however, could be more victorious and joyous if both the Iranian state and international sports governing bodies allow them to pursue their dreams -- free from any political and cultural obligations.

Follow Leila Mouri on Twitter: www.twitter.com/femiran

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leila-mouri/iranian-female-athletes-f_b_1861033.html

Azerbaijan's Madinat Abdullayeva gives it her all!

Fantastic shot of  Azerbaijan's Madinat Abdullayeva competing in the discus final on September 4th at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. Abdullayeva did not receive a medal but her effort and dedication to sport is an inspiration. 

Link: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/09/paralympics_2012.html

Islamic Reflections on Women’s Sporting Bodies in Relation to Sexuality, Modesty and Privacy

By Sertaç SEHLIKOGLU

During 2012 London Olympics, heated debates arose around the question of Muslim women’s participation to Olympics. Some of these discussions problematized the position of countries which have never sent a female Olympian (Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Qatar), while others discussed under which conditions headscarved (hijabi) Olympians should participate in the games. Although they come from very different ideaological, political, and religious perspectives, all these debates and interventions claimed the right to exercise power on the female body. As an activist blogger on Muslim women’s involvement in sports and a young anthropologist, I have been inquiring issues of women’s agency, desire, and privacy in my field research.  As I have been interviewing Muslim women doing sports in women-only gyms in Istanbul, I have asked them about their views on involvement in sports, privacy, modesty, and public sexuality.

In order to have a better understanding of the debates on Muslim sportswomen, one needs to keep two points in mind: The first one is the Islamic point that sports requires body movements that trouble the perceptions on women’s public visibility and public sexuality. The second point however is linked to a broader question on the boundaries between the masculine and the feminine; which are perceived to be physically yet discursively trespassed by professional sportswomen, who are therefore considered as troubling subjects.

The literature on sports and gender also emphasizes that women face higher levels of constraints than men regarding involvement in leisure and sports both in Western and in Muslim contexts (Shaw 1994, 1996; Henderson and Bialeschki 1993). While several scholars bring forward the original teachings of Islam which actually favor and advocate physical development sports for both sexes (Mahfoud 2008, Pfitzer 2008), several others criticize the ways in which Muslim women’s involvement in sports are overshadowed and restricted by hegemonic masculine discourses (Di-Capua 2006). Among those discussions, I am interested in whether and how Muslim women have developed strategies to increase and legitimize their involvement in sports both in the Muslim and non-Muslim and/or secular world.

MUSLIM WOMEN AND SPORTS: A CONTESTED AREA

Two female participants of Olympics from Turkey with other fencers, 1936. Image courtesy Sertac Sehlikoglu

We can group Muslim sportswomen into three based on their participation in international games. The first group of women is composed of those who are not following the Islamic dress code, some of whom do not believe that such dress code (ie, headscarf) is Islamic. Historically, this group has been involved in international games for much longer than the other two, since modernists in many Muslim societies viewed sports as a means of breaking women’s segregation and including them in public life in the early 20th century. The first Muslim women attended the 1936 Berlin Olympics: Suat Aşeni and Halet Çambel represented Turkey in fencing, 36 years after first women were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. Turkey, as a country which accepts international dress regulations for different branches of sports, does not have any problem in sending its successful sportswomen to the Olympic Games, as long as the sportswomen follow the international dress codes in sports.

The second group of Muslim women is composed of those who believe in modesty and prefer observing Islam in terms of the dress code as well. These women often face other rules, such as those in international games, which forbid their headscarf based on safety and security concerns. Muslim sports activists propose “safe hijabs” to negotiate with security concerns and suggest alternative styles for different branches. FIFA, for instance, was in contact with designers for an approvable headgear to be used in international soccer games when this article was being written.

A third group of Muslim women however, are not allowed to participate in sports, not because of their religious choices or international game regulations, but because of the regulations of their own country. Iranian sportswomen are an example to this, since the branches of sports Iranian women are allowed to participate are limited: Lida Fariman, Manije Kazemi (archery), Marjan Kalhor (skiing), and Sara Khoshjamal Fekri (taekwondo) are four examples, who have represented Iran in the Olympic games in earlier years within clothes regulated by their country. In these Iranian cases, the dress codes of the sport are in line with Iran’s national dress code for modesty to be preserved. Similarly, and unfortunately, there are countries, such as the Southeast Asian nation of Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have not sent any single woman to the Olympic games until 2012. Such outfit regulations influence female citizens of these countries whether the sportwomen themselves are Muslims or not, since they are bounded with the codes both at national and at international level.

What all these groups of Muslim women seem to be sharing is that their bodies are at the center of heated ideological, political, or religious debates and contestations at national and international platforms; as these women are subjected to different forms of idealized discourses and pressures (of secularist and Islamist patriarchies) on multiple fronts.

The fatwas regarding sports are very explanatory in understanding the “Islamic” attitudes. Although Islamic rules do not necessarily pose an obstacle to the participation of women in sports, they can shape the sporting experience of women as gendered subjects. All of the fatwas on Islamic web sites concerning physical exercise begin with the importance of sports for health and encourage individuals to be physically active with reference to hadiths, with minor warnings on violence, fanaticism, or hooliganism. When it comes to women’s involvement in sports, the fatwas start using a more regulative language in details. Almost all of the suggested regulations and rules about women’s involvement in sports are related to gender segregation, and, more importantly, bodily exposure. Fatwas specify several rules that must be followed:  First, men and women must be segregated, since mixed environments may open channels for seduction, temptation and corruption. Fatwas reject any physical exercise that stir sexual urge or encourage moral perversion such as women practicing dancing and being watched by the public since each one of the these acts are coded as “sexual(ly appealing).” Indeed, those within Saudi Arabia who oppose the inclusion of women in sports do so because future implications and consequences of women’s involvement in sports might be un-Islamic although there is nothing in Islam that prohibits women from physical activity or even competitive sports.

Most of the time, the most convenient sport for Muslim sportswomen who have concerns about their body movements or Islamic veiling are the branches that do not require too much body movements – the movements which are perceived as ‘sexually appealing’ such as movement of hips (running) and breasts (jumping). The most popular sports for women from predominantly Muslim countries have been athletics, power lifting, fencing, archery, martial arts and table tennis. Such branches are more convenient especially if women are professionals and need to spend hours everyday for training. Women can easily find spaces for training and do not need to seek for special dedicated spaces.

WHAT IS THE BORDER OF VEIL, SEXUALITY AND SPORTS?

Set of photos shown to informants and asked what they think. Image courtesy Sertac Sehlikoglu

The Islamic veiling, whether in the format of a simple headscarf or in more sophisticated outfits, does have a spiritual value for Muslim women as they cover their bodies during prayer. Such a value is too important to underestimate. Yet, the borders of a veiled body also stay on the edge of the gender binary of modern Islamic heterosexual norms. As apparent in the fatwas, less veiled body of a Muslim woman arouses hyper-femininity yet reflects homoerotic boundaries of women in Islamic cultures. However, the body of a Muslim sportswoman is troubling not only because it is sexually arousing as a female body, but also because it trespasses into the masculine zone.

During my field research on women-only gyms in Istanbul, I interviewed 40 women on their involvement in physical exercise and how their involvement is shaped or constrained by people closest to them at home or at work. These women prefer such homosocial spaces simply because they do not feel “comfortable”, as they put it, when they can be seen by men. I showed my informants, who were sporty but not involved in any professional sports, photos of various Muslim sportswomen taken during international games. They were all familiar with physical exercise and accepted Islamic gender norms at one level, therefore preferred homosocial spaces to exercise. The photos women were shown included Sania Mirza (Indian tennis player, non-veiled), Roqaya Al-Gassra (Bahraini Athlete, veiled), female wrestlers, volleyball players, and weightlifters. Amongst all, Al-Gassra aroused the most mixed feelings amongst women. Women did not feel comfortable about Al-Gassra’s look since she “looked like a guy” and she was revealing her body although she was covering her head. On the other hand, most of my veiled informants were proud to see a ‘veiled’ (not a Muslim but veiled) woman in international games but they still found it unnecessary. The Olympics and international games therefore, raise the debate on the ways in which a woman’s body is exposed to international audiences which is linked to complex feelings on national pride (and how this sense of pride and nation is perceived), women’s public sexuality, modesty and Islamic pride (which also takes gendered forms).  Indeed, Al-Gassra, as a professional veiled athlete, was becoming part of such Islamic pride and become target of criticisms for two reasons: for her low-veiling and tomboy look. Thus, Islamic pride of a woman is expected to be both normative and modest; both of which are violated in the case of Al-Gassra.

Source: http://www.anthropology-news.org/index.php/2012/08/17/boundaries-of-a-veiled-female-body/

The tragic triumph of Samia Yusuf Omar

BY: SHIREEN AHMED

Samia Yusuf Omar was an aspiring middle distance runner from Somalia. Her untimely death at sea in April 2012 cut short her Olympic dreams  and the hopes of her beloved Somalia. Samia's is a story of resilience, strength and determination. One that deserves not to be forgotten.

Unlike other world class athletes, little information is available on one of Somalia's strongest female athletes. 

Born and raised in Mogadishu, Samia was the eldest of six children. Gifted in physical ability, she struggled with access to proper facility, training and coaching. She had to navigate through wars, poverty, instability and inconsistent safety. In 1991, the year she was born, the Somali government fell and Mogadishu Stadium, which once hosted International events and competition, became a military compound for insurgents after housing UN special forces.  She and a few other athletes had few options other than a dilapidated Coni Stadium built in 1958 and the open road.

Duran Farah, President of the Somalia's national Olympic Committee stated: “Sports are not a priority for Somalia. There is no money for facilities or training. The war, the security, the 
difficulties with food and everything – there are just many other internal difficulties to deal with.” 
With no adequate track to run on, Samia was forced to run in the streets. She faced many threats and much harassment from insurgents who believed that as a Muslim woman, she should not be participating in sports at all. 

Covering as she trained in public, Samia wore a hijab, sweat pants and long-sleeved shirts as not to draw ire from local soldiers. 
Samia also had few opportunities to compete at different meets in the region due to logistics and other variables such as transportation, accommodation and political instability. 

Without financial support from a National Organization, access to doctors, sports therapists or even a stipend for a proper diet, Samia continued to train without formal coaching and instruction in order to participate in the Beijing 2008 Olympics with Abdinasir Said Ibrahim a runner in the 500 m event. They were the only two athletes that were sent to represent Somalia.

Samia was a middle distance runner but she was encouraged to run the 200m in Beijing for "the experience". She came in last in the race, at least 8 seconds behind the last runner in the event. She did not advance beyond the preliminaries. The crowd roared with appreciation as she came down the track to finish her race with pride and dignity. 

Abdi Ibrahim also finished last in his heat and did not advance. Both athletes were outclassed by their competitors but their determination and drive shone through. 

In preparation for the London Games Samia decided to move from Somalia into neighbouring Ethiopia.
An Al-Jazeera profile of Samia in 2011 confirmed that she left Somalia to find better training possibilities in Addis Abeba- a place where the sport of running is quite revered and respected. She had an opportunity to work with Eshetu Tura a former Olympian from Ethiopia. 

Without having to contend with threats to her personal safety from Al-Shabab, Samia could focus on training for London 2012.

Samia's sister Hodan, spoke with the BBC's Newsday Programme from Finland. She said Samia left Ethiopia and first travelled to Sudan then up to Libya. 

"She arrived in Libya in September 2011; for several months we didn't hear from her when she was lost in the Libyan desert and detained there, " Hodan explained. "But she decided to go by boat, and we told her not to, and my mother tried to tell her not to. But Samia was very determined and asked for our mother's forgiveness, and my mother gave it, and she took the boat, and she died."

According to unconfirmed reports Samia perished in an incident when the Italian navy approached the boat after they ran out of petrol and they asked for help. The Italian ship threw some ropes over the side for them to catch and swim to the navy ship. Samia was one of seven people- six women and one man who died trying to get on to the Italian ship. 

It is still unclear whether Samia drowned or whether her body was recovered other than to say that she died in a "boating accident". Reports of her death were confirmed August 20, 2012 from Somalia's National Olympic Committee after she would have competed in the London 2012 Games. 

Unofficially, Hodan said she had heard of her sister's death from other passengers on the boat.

Qadijo Aden Dahir, Deputy Chairman of Somalia's National Olympic Committee, said: "It's a sad death...She was our favourite for the London Olympics."
ZamZam Mohamed ran in place of Samia. 
Samia faced obstacles at every juncture of her journey to compete at the highest level of athletics. 

She faced disadvantages and hurdles such as non-existent resources and trained in conditions unfathomable to other athletes from around the world.

Athletes who, generally have the cultural and financial support of their homelands. 

Samia was a courageous woman with a passion to run and an unmatched work-ethic considering her surroundings.

She overcame cultural barricades,  navigated through war-torn society, left her the comfort of her family and consistently aimed for higher goals. 

To any observer, she is everything that is fundamentally good about athletes that is often lost in the material world of consumerism and show. She is humility, determination, drive and confidence. 

Samia's story is about more than running or participating in the Olympics. It is an opportunity to highlight an aspect that should be recognized and respected in sport: the human spirit. 

Samia may not have received a medal or sponsorship deals from Somalia but she was dedicated to representing her country and risked her life to prove that she could.

That is a triumph that should shine above her tragedy.

"We know that we are different from the other athletes. But we don't want o show it. We try our best to look like the rest. We understand we are not anywhere near the level of the other competitors here. We understand that very, very well. But more than anything else, we would like to show the dignity of ourselves and out country."- Samia Yusuf Omar, 2008

With notes from: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/track_field/news?slug=cr-somalirunners082408&print=1

Kohistani aims to inspire Afghan girls

Female runner part of the team that returned to red carpet welcome in Kabul

Kabul: The first Afghan female to compete at an Olympics Games hopes to act as inspiration to other women in her country.

Tahmina Kohistani, the 23-year-old runner, may not have won a medal — she was the slowest of all the women to compete in the 100m, despite her personal best time of 14.42 seconds in the preliminary round — but her appearance at the Olympics was about more than that.

“By attending the London Olympics I have given the message to all Afghan girls that they are talented, they can pursue sport, they can attend international competitions and above all they can earn honour to their country,” she said on her return home on Tuesday.

“Although I could not win a medal, I was able to represent the Afghan women and I am proud to be the first Afghan girl to participate in the Olympic Games.”

In conservative Afghanistan, it was unthinkable, 11 years ago when the Taliban regime was in power, that a woman would participate in a sports event.

The fundamentalist regime, which collapsed in late 2001 with the US military intervention, had banned schools for girls and confined women to their homes. They also imposed a series of restrictions on male athletes, including insistence on sporting a long beard and wearing long trousers while playing.

In Ghazi Stadium, the national sports arena in Kabul where athletes train daily to improve their skills and ability, Taliban militants during their six-year reign often exacted punishment, including execution and the chopping off of hands and feet of alleged criminals, each Friday.

The six-member Afghan team to the London Games comprised Rohullah Nikpa and Nisar Ahmad Bahawi in taekwondo, athletes Masoud Azizi and Kohistani, boxer Aimal Faisal and judoka Ajmal Faizi Zada representing the war-torn, rugged country.

In the men’s 68kg category, the Afghan taekwondo player Nikpa earned a bronze medal — only the second of its kind earned by Afghanistan.

The team returned home on Tuesday morning and their excited countrymen extended red-carpet welcomes to Nikpa and the rest of the team as thousands of people, including government officials and lawmakers, waited in a long queue at Kabul International Airport to receive the Olympic hero and other members of the contingent.

“I would try my best to win gold medal in the next Olympic Games,” Nikpa said, surrounded by hundreds of his admirers.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/sport/athletics/kohistani-aims-to-inspire-afghan-girls-1.1062267

Olympic Glories Came From Turkey and Bahrain

LONDON: Asli Cakir Alptekin led a shock 1-2 for Turkey by winning the gold medal in 4:10:23, handing her country a first-ever gold medal in track and field, in women's 1,500m final at the Olympic Stadium.
Bulut, who also took European silver behind Alptekin in Helsinki and has improved her time in the event by almost 15 seconds this season, took silver in 4:10.40.
With a bronze medal, Maryam Yusuf Jamal last night gave Bahrain its first Olympics medal.
Maryam claimed the bronze a further 0.34 of a second adrift.

Source: http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=335713

Tunisian Silver Medalist fueling Political Movement with her "underpants"

By Shireen AHMED

During these Olympic Games in London, there has been a lot of discussion regarding covered female athletes.

Much has been seen and heard of Wojdan Shaherkani and Sattar Attar, and their historic roles as the first to female athletes to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have had to adhere to regulations of proper covering from their country. They have competed in full- if altered, hijab. 

There are other athletes getting much publicity for their choice of clothing as well. 

This week, Tunisian runner Habiba Ghribi, won a Silver medal in the 3000m steeple chase event.

She is the first woman to ever win a medal for Tunisia. Ghribi is Muslim and does not wear hijab. 

Her glory and new found celebrity have also had an effect on Tunisia's political climate.

Ghribi is unabashedly proud of her accomplishments and interested in ameliorating the status of women in Tunisia in their proposed Constitution. Currently it states that women are "complementary" rather than "equal" to men. 

Her competitive attire has been used by various political parties as a central argument. More orthodox  Muslims from the Ennahda Party have stated that by running "virtually naked" she is offending them and the country. 

"We should strip the nationality of she who has dishonoured Tunisia with her nudity and debauchery.." proclaimed an angry man via facebook. 

Her running outfit consists of a fitted athletics top and running shorts. 

Tunisia does not require athletes representing their country to adhere to a specific uniform while competing.

Ibrahim Kassas, an independent MP from the Al Aridha party retorted: “The underpants of Habiba Ghribi have honoured us,What have Ennahda MP’s underpants done for us?”

As interesting as it sounds, the discussion involving Ghribi's outfit (not underpants but Olympic sanctioned uniform for athletic events) is offensive from all sides. 

To use her outfit and not her obvious brilliance, exploits this athlete and reduces her accomplishments.

Habiba Ghribi may have chosen to wear a hijab or pants while competing. She did not. The situation of her countrywomen wouldn't necessarily have improved because of it. She is a Tunisian, a women and a medalist nonetheless.

Tunisian politicians are using a situation of pride and joy for the people to bolster their own agendas. 

Feminist groups are interested in improving the status of women in Tunisia at risk with the new proposed text for possible Constitution. It would destroy the essence of women's equality currently protected by Tunisia's Code of Personal Status (CSP).  

Ghribi has been competing for over a decade ago and has been dedicated to better her position Internationally. Her achievements have nothing to do with clothing. They are a choice to represent her homeland and provide inspiration for thousands of young women, while pushing . 

her physical limits to excel.  

The Arab Spring ignited in Tunisia in 2010. Much work has been done and will continue to be done including cementing a place for women in the social and political sphere. To reduce the rebuilding of women's position in society by using the "underpants" of a decorated athlete is unfair.  

If Ghribi wants to propel a movement based on her dedication, she has enough confidence, courage and strength to stand in the face of adversaries and with comrades and do it herself- with or without "underwear". 

"This medal is for all the Tunisian people, for Tunisian women, for the new Tunisia"- Habiba Ghribi, London Olympics 2012

 Selected Notes from http://www.france24.com/en/20120808-tunisia-runner-ghribi-women-rights-equality-compliment-constitution-ennahda-olympic-games

Turkish Sprinter Sema Apak participated Olympics as Family

 

Turkish sprinter Sema Apak  who is specialized in the 400m hurdles event, participated London Olympics with her husband who is an Olympic bronze medalist hammer thrower Eşref Apak. Personal best time of Sema Apak in the 400m hurdles is 56.62 scored 2012 in Ankara, Turkey. They are the first from Turkey participating Olympics as husband and wife.

Apak family in London Olimpics with their son Ali

With Turkey record, Nevin Yanıt becomes fifth in 100m hurdles

Turkey’s Nevin Yanıt finished fifth in the women's 100-meter hurdles final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics, in London on Tuesday. (Photo: AA)

7 August 2012 / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

Turkish runner Nevin Yanıt finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdle at the 2012 London Olympics, clocking in at 12.58 seconds, also a Turkey record.

She secured the same performance in the semi-finals earlier on Tuesday and finished second.

Yanıt in 2010 emerged triumphant from the 20th European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, where she clinched the gold in the women's 100-meter hurdle, becoming the first Turk to win a medal at the event.

Australia's Sally Pearson won the Olympic gold medal in the women's 100m hurdles. Dawn Harper of the United States won the silver and Kellie Wells of the United States won the bronze.

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-288916-with-turkey-record-nevin-yanit-becomes-fifth-in-100m-hurdles.html

Turkish runners book spots in semis

Turkey’s Nevin Yanıt will run in today’s women’s 100-meter hurdles semifinals at the London Olympic Games after winning her heats. 

Yanıt, who came to London after successfully defending her European title, ran in 12.70 to win her heats. She will try to qualify for tonight’s final. The top two finishers in the three semifinals and the two best performers outside the top two spots will advance to the final. 

Tonight’s semifinals will start at 9:15 pm, and the final race will be held at 11 p.m. Turkish time. 
Two Turkish athletes also advanced from their heats in the women’s 1500-meters yesterday. Aslı Çakır Alptekin finished her heat in third place, while Gamze Bulut won the next heat to qualify for tomorrow’s semifinals. 

Alptekin and Bulut completed a one-two finish in the 1500m finals in the European Championships in June. The 1500-meters final will be run on Aug. 10.

Source: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-runners-book-spots-in-semis.aspx?pageID=238&nID=27218&NewsCatID=371

Iran's Female Olympians: London 2012 Olympics

For the first time in Olympic history, eight Iranian female athletes will compete in London 2012. All of the athletes have qualified officially, with none of the them needing to use a wildcard. Small Media will cover Iran's participation throughout the Olympic games.

1. In this report by Small Media on the London 2012 Olympics, we discuss the trials and tribulations facing Iran's 8 women Olympians. They've faced financial strife, been kicked off their teams and reinstated days before competing, lost their coaches, and attended substandard training camps. In spite of it all, they're all excited about competing in London and their attendance shows they've already succeeded against the odds. 

   
   

   In this report we feature shot putter Leyla Rajabi, kayaker Arezou Hakimi, table tennis player Neda Shahsavari, rower Solmaz Abbasi, archer Zahra Dehghan, taekwondo player Sousan Hajipour, and shooters Elaheh Ahmadi and Mahlagha Jambozorg. 

2. Shooting

3. 
4. 29-year old Elaheh Ahmadi started shooting twelve years ago and became a member of Iran's national team within three years. Ahmadi is optimistic about achieving good results in London: "If I keep beating my records during training, I might be able to win some medals ... My goal is to raise my country's flag during this tournament". Ahmadi was originally a candidate to be Iran's flag-bearer, but the shooting federation prohibited her from doing so: "The truth is that they contacted me from the federation and in the end we decided that I shouldn't be the flag bearer. I can't go to the [opening] ceremony the day before a match ... I am sad, but as I have to compete the following day, I can't be the flag bearer". 
5. 
6. 21-year-old Mahlagha Jambozorg was the first Iranian to qualify for London 2012. In May 2011, she placed fourth in the final of the 10m Air Rifle competitions in Germany, earning her place in the London line-up. Jambozorg, from Hamedan, began shooting when she was 15 years old and became a member of Iran's national shooting team when she was 17.

   
   

   After qualifying for the Olympics she said in an interview, "Honestly, the Olympics was always a dream for me, and now that dream has come true". 

   
   

   When asked about the support she gets from Iran's shooting federation she replied, "It's better you ask my coach. It's neither good nor bad. Human beings are always perfections and no matter how good conditions are in our training camp, we'll still look for something better. On the other hand, if I say the training camps are bad, then it's not clear whether or not my words are fair, so I prefer not to comment". 

   
   

   About her presence in London Jambozorg says, "Any athlete who qualifies [for the Olympics] does their best to be a good representative and to get the best result in the competitions. In my opinion, the best result would be my own satisfaction of my performance in the competition. What matters is that a shooter should aim to get their best result, but although I can't say what would be the best result, I will do my best in these competitions". 

7. Taekwondo 

8. 
9. In an exclusive interview with Small Media, 21-year-old Taekwondo player Sousan Hajipour spoke about the support she has received from the Iranian Taekwondo Federation: "[The federation] supported me fully. I have a good coach, a physical trainer, doctor, physiotherapist, good nutrition, everything ... everything that I needed I had. I went to a good training camp in South Korea and this helped me to get in the best possible shape". 

   
   

   We asked her about her main goal for the Olympics: "As an Iranian woman, I want to show the world that qualifying for the Olympics was not my final goal, I want to show them that we can get medals ... I hope to be the first Iranian woman to get a medal in the Olympics". 

10. Archery

11. 
12. Zahra Dehghan began her archery career six years ago at the age of 20. She was the final Iranian woman athlete to qualify for London 2012, making the Olympic cut on 23 June 2012. In the month leading up to her departure she encountered a number of problems with the Iranian Archery Federation, issues that nearly led to her missing the Olympics. 

    
    

    Her story begins three months ago, when the acting head of Iran's archery federation, Mohammadali Shojaei, changed the coaches of the Iranian national archery team. Dehghan had trained with her Korean coaches for years and wanted to remain with her coaches, at least until the Olympics. One month ago, just 27 days before the opening ceremony of the Olympics was due to take place, Zahra Dehghan and Milad Vaziri, Iran's male archer in the Olympics, quit the federation's training camp and wrote a letter to Shojaei asking for their Korean coaches to come back. 

    
    

    In the letter they announced that they would not return to the national team's camp unless their old coaches returned. In their letter, Dehghan and Vaziri also requested an Iranian coach, Hamzeh Safaei, who is the son of the Archery Foundation's former president. Current president Shojaei, angered by the letter, said the two archer's must have been provoked by an unnamed forced to write the letter and the federation replaced the archers two days later with Sareh Asadi and Nader Manouchehri.

    
    

    After the news of her replacement hit the media, Dehghan commented, "It was Mr Shojaei who had insisted that we should say who we would want as our Iranian coaches. In fact, the letter that we wrote was dictated to us by Mr Shojaei. He was the one asking us to address these issues in writing". 

    
    

    Then again, during the sending off ceremony for athletes on 18 July, less than ten days before the Olympics, Mohammad Aliabadi, president of Iran's National Olympic Committee,announced that Zahra Dehghan and Milad Vaziri would return to represent Iran in the Olympics: "With the approval of Abbasi, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, the original archers have been re-introduced as our representatives at the Olympics". 

    
    

    Dehghan was happy to represent Iran in the archery competition and said, "Getting to the Olympics is a really good feeling and I thank God that in the last minutes I returned to the Olympic team's list". She emphasised that she had continued as normal with her training regime, even while she was off the team: "For a while our mental condition wasn't good, but since our departure to London has become definite, our condition has improved and we're shooting better than ever before". 

    
    

    In an ironic twist, some Iranian news agencies reported that the two Iranian coaches who were supposed to accompany the archers to London on 23 July said they were unable to go because their ID cards had not been issued. A few hours before Dehghan started shooting in the ranking round in Lord's Cricket Ground on 27 July 2012, Iranian news agencies reportedthat Milad Vaziri, the male archer, would be Dehghan's coach. 

13. Rowing

14. 
15. The story of Iran's female Olympic rower Solmaz Abbasi, goes back to May 2012, when the President of Iran's Canoe Federation, Ahmad Donyamali, was dismissed by Mohammad Abbasi, on behalf of Iran's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The International Canoe Federation (ICF) objected to this replacement. Jose Perurena, the ICF president, wrote a letter to Mohammad Abbasi, saying that Iran's rowers could only participate in London 2012 if Donyamali was reinstated. Simon Toulson, the Secretary General of the ICF said, "As far as we are concerned, Mr Donyamali is still the president of Iran's Canoe Federation". 

    
    

    After this happened, Solmaz Abbasi was contacted by a number of news outlets to make comment on the story. In an interview on 6 June 2012 she stated, "As I am training now, focusing on the news distracts me from my main goal and affects my training". Although she has tried to steer clear of the news, she admits it has been hard to avoid: "[The situation] has affected me subconsciously anyway, but I hope everything goes back to normal so that we can go to the Olympics". 

    
    

    After two weeks of negotiations between Iranian sport authorities and politicians, Iran's president Mahmood Ahmadinejad said the former president of the federation should accompany the Iranian olympic team, and Solmaz Abbasi’s presence became definite on 18 July. 

    
    

    Just before her departure Abbasi said, "Considering what happened, and although I tried to stay away from it, at some points I lost my concentration and I lost my drive. However, I will do my best and try to get an acceptable result". 

16. Table Tennis

17. 
18. Neda Shahsavari believes that

    To continue and more photos, please refer to the source: http://storify.com/smallmedia/iran-s-female-olympians-london-2012-olympics