8 - 14 November 2001
Issue No.559
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 8 - 14 November 2001 Issue No.559 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
For women only
Nobody could be anybody but a woman at a recent Iranian sports meet. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab covers this totally feminine scene
All the athletes were women. So, too, were the referees. Those watching from the stands had to be women. Even the reporters covering the event were none other than women.
A bit of Tehran became, in effect, a women's world, for a short while at least, when the Iranian capital staged the Muslim Women's Games last week.
Men normally dominate the scene in Iran; women cannot even be seen, let alone heard. But women were out in force the other day -- not a male was in sight -- when the seven-day Games, the third of its kind, ended in the city. Participating were 753 athletes of the fairer sex from 16 countries. The hosts took 77 gold, 56 silver and 43 bronze medals to take first place for a whopping 176-medal haul, 126 more than Syria which finished runners-up with 18 gold, 17 silver and 15 bronze medals. Third place went to the Republic of Azerbaijan with 8 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze.
Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Uganda, Tajikistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar and Sudan placed from fourth to 13th. England, Yemen, Senegal and Guinea left Tehran empty-handed.
Egypt was close to entering but a late apology was sent after local sports officials decided their athletes would not produce a decent performance. Mounir Thabet, head of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, denied the cancellation was politically motivated. "We were enthusiastic about going especially after political relations recently improved between the two countries," Thabet said. "But this tournament was strong and we needed more time and money."
Despite being in the middle of a war, Afghanistan joined in.
In gymnastics, Iran grabbed the top spot. Syria and Iraq took second and third respectively.
In volleyball, Syria bagged the gold medal while Iran and Tajikistan settled for silver and bronze.
Badminton went to Iran while Pakistan took the silver and Syria the bronze.
In indoor football, again Iran proved triumphant; second and third went to Azerbaijan and Iraq.
Iran made a point by winning in fencing. Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan picked up the silver and bronze.
In the Azadi pool, Iran powered its way to gold. Pakistan and Syria were left high and dry with the silver and bronze.
Nobody could stop Iran in basketball either. Azerbaijan and Tajikistan came up with second and third place.
In track and field, the Iranians proved faster and stronger, leaving Pakistan and Uganda behind.
At Tehran's Chess Championship Base, Iran was always a move ahead. Iran's tae kwon do players were too masterful. Kuwait and Afghanistan battled for second and third.
In the other martial art of karate, Syria struck gold while Iran and Azerbaijan took the silver and bronze.
Azerbaijan also broke the Iranian monopoly with a gold in handball. Iran was left with the silver, Qatar the bronze.
Pakistan also broke Iran's iron grip on the tournament, taking the gold in table tennis. Iran and Syria won the silver and bronze.
At the shooting hall of the Azadi Sports Complex, Iran's markswomen shot to the gold while Azerbaijan bagged the silver and Qatar the bronze.
Iran served up an ace in tennis. Silver and bronze went to Syria and Azerbaijan.
On the sidelines of the Games, the director of the Islamic Countries Women's Sports Federation, Faezeh Hashemi of Iran, was unanimously re-elected to another four-year term.
Hashemi, the federation's founder, takes on the position for the third consecutive term. "I founded the competition because women have the right to play all sports but in an atmosphere where men are not around, according to Islam's instructions," Hashemi said. "Islam promotes sports but without mixing the sexes."
Aniseh Ali Mohamed Al-Hatmi of Qatar was elected the federation's deputy director in Asia; Khadijeh Abol-Qasem of Sudan became the federation's deputy director in Africa; and Ahmad Varsi of Britain was selected the federation's deputy director in non-Islamic countries.
Qatar will hold the next tournament, the first time the championship will be staged outside Iran.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page