Thursday, September 8, 2005 (Hyderabad): When Iran's badminton team left Teheran, the brief was not really to bring the winner's cup back to the country. They were instead told to ensure 90 per cent of their body remained covered while they were on the court. But the girls are not going to let that pre-condition play spoilsport with the adventure of their first international outing. "India is a very big country and it is very popular. But I don't know why all of them make noise with their cars when they drive. The weather is hot and wet. The food is spicy. We are your guest so we should try your food," says Gulnaz, Iranian player. 'Special cover' The girls say men are not allowed to watch them in action in Iran, so back home they can wear comfortable clothing in all-women tournaments. For the India trip, the last one-year was spent trying out different dresses and the authorities finally approved this attire. "We have designed a special cover for the players so they can play with it easily. It is not as comfortable as playing with shorts but its ok," says Simin, Coach, Iran women's team. The players are unlikely to go beyond the first round but they are sure making heads turn for what they are here to show, or would that be, not show.
I could not find a pic,but the clothing was RIDICULOUS!Full sleeve Shirts,tracks-like stuff ..or whatever they were even wore something on the head. Dont know how come they were allowed to compete.
If we were always so intolerant to things like this, we would never advance badminton to countries such as Iran. People in Iran probably think some of us in other countries dress weird... so what?
Can no one get any pictures ? I would love to see what the women dress like.... and how are they covering their head ?
While it may seem ridiculous, we must also respect other countries' customs and restrictions. For Iran to let their women compete is already a plus for me. We ourselves have our own standards and restrictions. Not so long ago, many people chastised Gunalan for suggesting "sexy" clothing for women players. I say let the players wear whatever they want.
I respect their attire, whatever that may be, but i wander how comfortable they are during game play in long sleeves when they are sweating. I'm pretty sure it will affect their performance.
