Women weightlifters from Iran will be allowed to compete internationally for the first time, the president of the country’s weightlifting federation, Ali Moradi, said.
"We have established the Iran Weightlifting Federation Women’s Committee and we have talented female athletes," Reuters cited Moradi as saying. "They have high capacity like men athletes, and I hope that, wearing special clothes for Muslim athletes, they will be able to take part in international championships in the near future".
Mohammed Alharbi, president of the Saudi Arabia Weightlifting Federation, also confirmed that a new women’s program had been set up.
Saudi Arabia also confirmed the setting up of a women’s program, opening the way to the country also fielding a national women’s team six years after the sport’s governing body allowed the wearing of the hijab, the traditional Islanic headscarf, in competition.
Women were barred from weightlifting until 1983. After a change to the IWF’s rules, women began competing at the World Championships from 1987 and at the Olympic Games from 2000.
