Iranian soccer club lets women fans into stadium for 1st time
Associated Press Tehran, January 10
In a taboo-breaking step in Iran, its soccer club has begun allowing female football fans into its stadium to watch games.
Mahdi Dadras, manager of Tehran's Paykan club, said the decision was made to allow women to watch soccer matches because its fans don't use obscene chants and their presence improves his players' morale.
Iranian authorities have long banned women from soccer stadiums because most fans direct distasteful language at opposing teams.
Yesterday, half a dozen jubilant women appeared at Iran Khodro Stadium, west of Tehran, to watch a first division league soccer match between host Paykan and the visiting Barq of Shiraz from southern Iran.
Sahar Alvandi, a 17-year-old student, was overjoyed to be one of the first Iranian women to step into a soccer stadium.
"My dream came true today," Alvandi told The Associated Press. "I still can't believe I'm in a soccer stadium in the Islamic Republic where it has so far been the realm of only men in Iran."
Alvandi, however, complained of looks she received from male fans which she considered offending.
"The men look at you as if you are a different creature from another planet," she said. "To them, a women showing up in soccer stadium is like something from the world of aliens."
"You can't deny half of the population the right of watching soccer in a stadium because some male fans say bad words. Why should women be punished for the irresponsible behaviour of some men?" she asked.
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