Iranian football team banned for wearing Islamic dress

The row over what Iran's women players are allowed to wear has been brewing for more than a year. FIFA banned the team last April due to their plan to wear headscarves, in accordance with the Islamic dress code which requires all women in Iran to cover their hair in public. -Photo by AFP

TEHRAN: Iran will complain to world soccer’s governing body FIFA after its women’s team were banned from a qualifying game for next year’s Olympics due to their Islamic dress, the ISNA news agency reported on Sunday.

The Iranian team were banned from a match against Jordan shortly before the game was due to start in Amman on Friday, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported.

Jordan were awarded a 3-0 win in the second-round qualifying match.

“We will file a complaint to FIFA against the official in charge of the matches,” Ali Kafashian, head of Iran’s football federation, was quoted as saying by the student news agency ISNA.

The row over what Iran’s women players are allowed to wear has been brewing for more than a year. FIFA banned the team last April due to their plan to wear headscarves, in accordance with the Islamic dress code which requires all women in Iran to cover their hair in public.

The Iranian federation made changes to the kit and believed it had reached an acceptable compromise.

A photograph on Press TV’s website (www.presstv.ir) showed players at Friday’s match in white tracksuits and head coverings that concealed their hair and ears, kneeling around the Iranian flag on the pitch.

“Although it has been said in FIFA’s regulations that no country can play with Islamic dress, we had necessary negotiations with FIFA officials,” Kafashian said.

“Unfortunately, I do not know why the Bahraini official in charge of the matches refused to let our team play.”

News reports in Iran stressed the Bahraini nationality of the official. Iran has been a vocal critic of the Sunni Muslim Bahraini monarchy’s violent crackdown on democracy protestors from the Shi’ite majority in recent months.

Afridi returns home hoping for ‘justice’

Former Pakistani cricket captain Shahid Afridi greets supporters upon his return to Karachi, on June 5, 2011. Thousands of cheering fans greeted Afridi as he returned home on June 5, hoping to “get justice” in his battle with the country's cricket authorities. – Photo by AFP

KARACHI: Thousands of cheering fans greeted former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as he returned home on Sunday hoping to “get justice” in his battle with the country’s cricket authorities.

The 31-year-old’s attempts to join Hampshire for the English Twenty20 season were halted when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revoked his permission to play following his decision to retire from international cricket last week.

Around 3,000 fans gathered at Karachi’s international airport in support of the all-rounder, chanting slogans against the PCB and its chairman Ijaz Butt.

“I will decide on my future course of action on Monday after consulting my lawyers and hope to get justice,” Afridi told AFP.

Afridi took the abrupt decision to retire in protest after he was replaced as Pakistan’s one-day captain last month despite leading the side to the World Cup semi-final earlier this year.

In a situation that will be all too familiar to Pakistan fans, differences had developed between Afridi and coach Waqar Younis, prompting the all-rounder to make his grievances public — which led to the PCB replacing him.

In announcing his retirement, Afridi accused the PCB of mistreating him and vowed not to play under the current set-up of the board, headed by Butt.

The PCB responded by suspending Afridi’s contract and revoking the so-called “No-Objection Certificate” that would have allowed him to play for Hampshire in the Twenty20 tournament.

The board also convened a three-man disciplinary committee to deal the case and ordered Afridi to appear before it on June 8.

Afridi said he was never bothered about the captaincy.

“It’s not a matter of being replaced as captain, it’s a matter of honour,” he said.

“A lot of other players also feel they were mistreated but they cannot go public fearing for dire consequences.” Since announcing his retirement Afridi has received political support, with opposition Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, an ally of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, vowing to support him.

The PCB said it was concerned that Afridi’s case had turned into a political issue.

“PCB notes with great concern that an internal disciplinary action against Afridi is being converted into a political issue. A number of political functionaries are interfering in what is essentially an internal disciplinary matter of the PCB,” a statement from the Board said Sunday.

“PCB has been criticised for being ineffective in the past in the context of discipline. It would now appear an attempt by some forces to prevent the Board from implementing the code of conduct and their act may well damage Pakistan cricket,” the statement said.

Rafael Nadal 'honoured' to match Borg feat:French Open:

French Open final highlights - Nadal v Federer

Rafael Nadal said he is honoured to be compared to Bjorn Borg after equalling the Swede's record of six French Open titles with victory over Roger Federer.

Nadal won 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-1 to claim his 10th Grand Slam and retain the world number one ranking.

"It's very special to equal the six French Opens of Bjorn Borg - it's an honour to be compared to Borg," stated the 25-year-old Spaniard.

"But the most important thing is to win Roland Garros."

Nadal's 10 titles consist of six French Opens, two Wimbledons, one US Open and one Australian Open.

Federer, 29, still leads the way with 16 majors, but with Nadal almost five years younger than the Swiss, expectations are high that the Spaniard will pass that total.

However, he was keen to play down the hype, adding: "I'm not the best player in the history of tennis but I'm amongst the best and that's enough for me."

Nadal's coach and uncle Toni Nadal said Sunday's win was the most difficult of all his nephew's triumphs in Paris after he struggled for fluency in the opening week.

Nadal needed five sets to see off John Isner of the United States in the first round in Paris and complained that he did not feel as if he was playing well enough to win the tournament.

"It was the most complicated," commented Toni. "He played really badly in the first three rounds. I said to him: 'You won't win playing at this level, you must be more relaxed'. And I told him that winning or losing would change nothing.

"It was important for Roger to try to win another Grand Slam and for us it was crucial that Rafa did not lose as he wouldn't then be the best player on clay.

"Winning Roland Garros is an indication that 2011 is a good year. It'll give him peace of mind for what's ahead. If he loses at Wimbledon, we will always have the French Open."

Nadal won the 2010 tournament without dropping a set but this year it was not until his quarter-final success against Robin Soderling that he came close to hitting top form.

He then secured a straight-sets victory over Britain's Andy Murray in the semi-finals and proved too strong for Federer in the showpiece.

"To win this kind of title is always satisfying," explained Nadal. "But sometimes when you fight a lot to win, when you try your best in every moment to change the situation, it makes the title more special.

"For example, in 2008 I think I played better than ever, but I finished the tournament and I didn't feel that I won Roland Garros because I won in three sets every round."

Nadal rallied from 5-2 down to take the opening set and overcame a fightback from Federer to snatch the second on a tie-break.

Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his sixth French Open title

A dramatic late surge enabled Federer to pick up the third set but Nadal saved three break points in game one of the fourth before breaking twice en route to a thrilling triumph.

"He was a little bit unlucky in the first set, and after that he came back fantastically well in the second," Nadal continued.

"In the third I had 4-2 but I think he played very, very well from that moment to the beginning of the fourth. When Roger plays like this, the opponent cannot do anything sometimes.

"I just waited for my moment, tried to be there all the time, tried to put him in difficult situations. Saving the 0-40 [in game one of the fourth set] was very important for me. That was a big turning point of the match."

Federer, contesting a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2010 Australian Open, was pleased with his display but knew things could have turned out much better.

"I don't have huge complaints but obviously there were some missed opportunities, because you'll always have plenty against him on clay. So if you lose, you always look at those," reflected the Swiss.

"I'm the one that's playing with smaller margins, so obviously I'm always going to go through a few more ups and downs, whereas Rafa is content doing the one thing for the entire time.

"So it's always me who's going to dictate play and decide how the outcome is going to be. If I play well, I will most likely win. If I'm not playing so well, that's when he wins.

"But I thought Rafa played well. I think he dug deep to come back in the first set and get himself into the match. And also the second set.

"It was tough all the way through. I thought we played at a very high level and I was pretty happy with the way I played today.

"Overall I'm very happy about the tournament. Obviously you should be disappointed after losing in a Grand Slam final. I feel that a little bit today."

Federer, who ended Novak Djokovic's six-month winning streak to reach the final, said he was "feeling better physically than I have in a long time."

Having played some of his best tennis during the last fortnight, Federer now turns his attention to Wimbledon, where he has lifted the title on six occasions.

"That's obviously the huge priority right now, to win Wimbledon in a few weeks' time," he said. "That's always, for me, the sort of number one goal in the season."

Source -=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/13663138.stm

CLASSIC RIVALRY=2011 French Open

 

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have given us plenty of historic moments over the years. Relive the matches.

Either Rafa was tired, bored or sad. Normally chatty and amusing, he answered every question patiently but with a flat tone in his voice and an expression that offered no signs of happiness. Players often put themselves in an uncommunicative zone before big matches and at least Nadal agreed to talk to the media which Federer did not. But I sensed this was something more than that. I hope I'm wrong.

It was not that Nadal did not know his facts as he was grilled on Federer's record and whether or not he was surprised at having to face him in the final. "No surprise," he said. "You are more surprised than me, for sure. We know how good Roger is. Roger is having, in my opinion, a good season. He lost only against Novak in Australia, Dubai and Indian Wells; against me in Miami, against me in Madrid. Always there, in semifinals, finals, winning in Doha. So he's fantastic and no surprise for me. Always an honor to play against him, honor to play against the best player in history."

At this rate Nadal will be putting statisticians out of work. And he not only knows the facts — he watches when he can. "Was fantastic match to watch yesterday," he said of Federer's win against Djokovic. "I had a lot of fun watching that match. After that match he must feel very confident, no? I know he is going to play aggressive against me. I have to try to play long, to play consistent all the time and to try to be aggressive when I have the chance."

After two weeks of almost perfect weather, the forecast for Sunday is not good but Nadal is not going to be concerned with that.

"For me I prefer sunshine always. My game is better if the ball is fast and bounces higher," Nadal said. "But, seriously I don't have power to control the weather, so if rain, I'm going to think that is an advantage for me; if sunshiny I'm going to think is advantage for me. I have to think positive all the time."

He may be thinking it but he isn't looking it and we shall have to see what the five time champion produces on court as he tries to equal Bjorn Borg record of six French Open titles.

For Federer, the occasion will be special because the man with a record sixteen Grand Slam titles under his belt has not appeared in a Slam final since January 2010 in Australia. "You just have to accept these things (the losses) and continue to work," he said after his victory over Djokovic. "It's sometimes difficult to play the perfect match. Now I have another opportunity to beat Rafa here and get the French Open title. I've got to play some extraordinarily special tennis. I'm aware of that. But obviously I took a huge step forward today and I hope I can get everything together for the final."

Given their love for the man, there seems little doubt that Federer will have the majority of the crowd behind him. They like style in Paris and has there ever been a more stylish player? He is not a natural extrovert on court like the hugely popular three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten but he just does his thing and the crowd responds. "No I don't do anything special to win their support," he says. "I think people know how much I love Roland Garros, how dear this tournament is to my heart. I think that's enough. But then, we all have our ways of expressing our emotions and it's good in tennis to see that people are different."

Federer and Nadal are very different but they are good friends and great champions and, weather willing, Sunday should see another special day at Roland Garros as these two icons of the game meet for the fourth time in this clay-court final.