"What Problem," Asks Iran President, In Showing Women Play Sports On TV

TEHRAN:  Iran's moderate President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday questioned why the successes of women athletes representing the Islamic republic were not being shown on state television.

"What problem is there in television showing women or girls in competition, especially when they courageously take on prestigious international teams and produce great victories?" he asked, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

He was referring specifically to Iran's 4-1 triumph over Japan in the final of an Asian tournament of futsal -- a five-a-side football game played on a hard pitch with hockey-sized goals -- on May 12 in Thailand.

The Iranian women, playing in white, wore Islamic headscarves, long sleeved shirts and with shorts over tights, unlike their Japanese counterparts whose legs were bare.

Women's sports in Iran are normally contested without any male onlookers and in the absence of photographers or television cameras.

(This story has not been edited by NT staff .)

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/what-problem-asks-hassan-rouhani-iran-president-in-showing-women-play-sports-on-tv-1856647