Ministry of Sports: We Did Not Authorize This Type of Clothing for Female Footballers

Iran’s Deputy Minister of Sports has responded to criticism over the clothing worn by Iranian female footballers, stating that the Ministry of Sports did not authorize this type of attire and that according to an official circular, a coat, trousers, and headscarf are the “official uniform” for Iranian female athletes.

Mahin Farhadizad said on Sunday, September 28, to the IRNA news agency that the Vice President of the Football Federation “perhaps due to personal difficulties delegated his responsibilities to another department, which created these controversies”.

Ms. Farhadizad also added that a “necessary reminder” has been given to the federation regarding female footballers’ clothing.

The dispatch of Iran’s national women’s football team, which after a two-year absence from competitions had been removed from the FIFA world rankings and has returned to the FIFA ranking this year, has been accompanied by some controversies related to the team members’ attire.

In images released from sending this team to the preliminary competitions for the AFC Women’s Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Wednesday, September 24, Iranian female athletes were seen wearing dark-colored women’s jackets and trousers.

In response to the team members’ clothing, IRNA news agency on Saturday called the team’s attire “masculine” and a “combination of poor taste and disregard for social norms” and while describing the football federation’s move to design such clothing as “unprecedented,” called for “immediate correction” and “investigation of this matter by relevant authorities”.

Ahmad Rastineh, head of the Physical Education Committee of the Parliament’s Cultural Commission, also said that “the issue of designing uniforms for the women’s football team is not justifiable and should not be overlooked, and the federation must be accountable”.

Source: Radio Farda