Indian chess player withdraws from Iran event over headscarf rule

Chess star Soumya Swaminathan has refused to be a part of the Asian Team Chess Championship, to be held in Hamadan, Iran, from July 26 to August 4, because of the compulsory-headscarf rule in the country which she said violated her personal rights.

Soumya Swaminathan. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Soumya Swaminathan/Facebook

She took to her Facebook page to say, "I find the Iranian law of compulsory Headscarf to be in direct violation of my basic human rights including my right to freedom of expression, and right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It seems that under the present circumstances, the only way for me to protect my rights is not to go to Iran."

She further said that the religious dress codes should not be imposed on players.

She added, "I understand the organisers expecting us to wear our national team dress or formals or sporting attire for our games during official championships, but surely there is no place for an enforceable religious dress code in sports."

This is not the first time an athlete pulled out of an event over the same issue.

In 2016, top Indian shooter Heena Sidhu had withdrawn from the Asian Airgun meet in Iran citing the same reason.