Iran’s women’s futsal team, whose players wear hejabs and thick tights to comply with Islamic dress codes, sparked admiration and curiosity from other teams as well as locals at the Futsal World Championship in Guatemala last week.
Since the Iranian team was under a tight schedule throughout the tournament and most Iranian players do not speak English, there were few opportunities to socialize with other teams, although there were a number of emotional moments in which language and cultural barriers were broken down.
After a string of defeats to Brazil, Portugal and Costa Rica, Iran’s players managed to end the VI Women’s Futsal World Tournament with their head high after scoring 2-1 against Japan, the team at the bottom of group B.
While the jubilant Iranian players hugged and high-fived, many of the Japanese players were visibly upset as they walked off the pitch at the end of the match. Japanese player, Chikage Kichibayashi, a soft-spoken young athlete, says she was surprised when several Iranian players came up to her to offer words of comfort despite the language barrier.
“I spoke to some of the Iranian players after the match and they were trying to comfort me. They’re very nice,” says Kichibayashi, 21. “Before, I used to think that they were very reserved. Our countries are very different, especially when it comes to religion. They’re very religious, unlike Japanese people who don’t tend to be religious at all. So, at first, I found that a bit scary.”
We are all Niloufar Ardalan
Niloufar Ardalan, known as “Lady Goal,” is the Iranian team’s star player and was thrust into the limelight after news came out that in order to travel to Guatemala she had to win a legal battle against her husband. Ardalan’s husband, sports journalist Mehdi Toutounchi, refused to sign her travel documents because he wanted her at home for their seven-year-old son’s first day of school. Ardalan’s story went viral on social media with women from all over the world sharing the hashtag #WeAreAllNiloufarArdalan.
Ardalan is passionate about futsal, as her Facebook page reflects. There are photos of her training drills and of her carrying the Iranian flag in international tournaments. There are even photos of her carrying her seven year old son, in which both she and he are clad in football gear.
During the tournament, players from other teams expressed a deep sense of admiration for her determination to compete in the tournament against all odds. “I’m very happy for her because she’s one of Iran’s best players. I hope Iranian women continue to fight for their rights because playing sports is essential for any person’s well being,” says Costa Rican player Natalia López, 25, who scored her country’s second goal against Iran on Thursday. “We had already played against the Iranian team in the previous world tournament in Portugal. At first, it seems a bit odd to see them all covered up but in the end it’s exactly the same as playing against any other team.”
Her teammate, Priscilla Torres, 26, added, “We admire them as women and as athletes because we all share the same passion. I’d like to learn more about their culture, and I hope we can have our photo taken with the Iranian team before we leave.”
A little piece of Guatemala
Speaking with the help of a translator, the Iranian team’s coach, Elmira Saminipour, said she was surprised to see many Guatemalans cheering and supporting the Iranian team as well as their own. “We see people’s reactions towards the players; they support us a lot and give us positive energy. We’re very proud to play as Iranian women in these tournaments,” Saminipour said after Thursday’s match against Costa Rica. “The Guatemalans always wanted to talk to us, to take photos with us and give us gifts.”
Marcela Chávez, who was in charge of assisting the Iranian team throughout the tournament, believes the Iranian players’ demeanor won them a special place in the hearts and minds of the Guatemalan public. “Even when they lost, their attitude was always positive and humble and they always congratulated the other teams,” says Chávez. “Even when they were sad or annoyed they always tried to be nice and agreed to pose for photographs.”
She added, “They requested halal food but unfortunately we couldn’t provide that and they said that it wasn’t a problem.”
Among those who lined up outside the changing rooms to meet the Iranian players after the Iran-Costa Rica match, were the members of Guatemala’s volunteer paramedic team, who presented them with badges to take home as souvenirs. Equally, the Iranian players presented the other teams, as well as the Guatemalan paramedics and members of staff, with their national flag.
Paramedic Jorge Borrayo says that his team, which regularly covers sports events at the stadium, has met athletes from many different nationalities but this is the first time they met an Iranian women’s team and it is the first time they have had any contact with Muslim women who wear the hejab.
“We brought a group of women paramedics in case the Iranian team needed treatment, as we were told they couldn’t have contact with men for religious reasons,” says Borrayo. “We know they’ve traveled a long way to be here so we brought them these badges so that they can take a little piece of Guatemala back to Iran.”
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