#first female referee saudi arabia

[stormblessed95]

So you don’t have to publish this if you don’t feel comfortable, but I kinda wanted your opinion on this.

It may sound dramatic, but I haven’t been able to call myself an army since the news of the World Cup came out. I am so incredibly disappointed in bts and bighit.

When I got into bts they brought me so much comfort and helped me through some tough times. I enjoyed their music and was always very proud of the message they tried to share with the world. Yes, some of their older content is uncomfortable to watch for the casual misogyny and homophobia, but as a queer woman I perfectly understand internalized homophobia and misogyny and I wouldn’t want to be judged for what I said or did in 2014. They had shown they had grown and learned. They always spoke up against people in power abusing it and about social justice.

So what happened? Did they became worldwide stars and decided “who cares about our message anymore! Let’s support a tournament that is basically a celebrations of the violation of human rights?”

Supporting the World Cup is basically saying they don’t care that over 6000 people died building the stadiums. They don’t care that lgbtq people die in that country. They don’t care about women and women’s rights.

This is not the bts I thought I knew, and I’m talking about all of them because if the other six were strongly opposed to this, I honestly doubt jungkook would be flying over there right now. But here we are.

I mean I could even understand that it’s a huge honor for a South Korean to sing for the first time at a World Cup opening ceremony, but let’s not forget that SK with Japan hosted the 2002 World Cup (and that was a mess as well, just google about the referee Moreno and bribes about that World Cup).

Idk I think they really fucked up this time. And if they have no qualms to stand up for human rights violations, than I don’t think I can call myself their fan. I’m also disappointed in armies (on twitter mostly) that have been insulting anyone who pointed out how this is a very poor decision that does not reflect well on bts’s character and morals. You may disagree, but you can’t deny the facts.

I read dualipa’s reaction (who I don’t follow and don’t know anything about) about being rumored to sing and the World Cup, and I can’t help but wish that had been bts answer as well.

Hi. So I'm not going to tell you how to feel. Your feelings and concerns are valid and they are your own. What you choose to do based on how you feel is also totally and completely up to you. Your choice/feelings aren't wrong either way you feel about. Nor do i want to dismiss all the issues and valid crisitisms surrounding the world cup and Qatar. So please know that its okay to be upset about it. And I don't want to bring up past controversies either but idk if you were around in 2019 or if you feel like this is any different than the issues surrounding their choice to perform in Saudi Arabia?

For background if you werent aware of the issues they faced for the decison to hold that concert, ill give an overview:

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman took the throne in 2015, and he has since been making efforts to make the country more moderate and less conservative with several reforms. According to Wikipedia, some of those reforms would be: "regulations restricting the powers of the religious police, the removal of the ban on female drivers in June 2018, and weakening the male-guardianship system in August 2019. Other cultural developments under his reign include the first Saudi public concerts by a female singer, the first Saudi sports stadium to admit women, and an increased presence of women in the workforce." Regardless Saudi Arabia is still quite a bit most other countries in terms of human rights. Its bombings and attacks in Yemen have led to mass famines and deaths, and the Saudi government has been criticized for detaining and torturing human rights activists and LGBTQ people. Women also still don’t have most of the rights they should, and still require a male family member’s permission before doing things like traveling or getting a passport among other things. The Prince and the Gov there have also been heavily critized for their actions being more performantive and less about actually pushing forward more human rights. I don't know much more, so I don't want to speak to heavily on either country (SA or Qatar).

In an effort to be more modern and open, they invited many artists to perform. Among those artists were BTS and they accepted. You mentioned Dua Lipa refusing Qatar performance, so I'll also mention Nikki Minaj refused to perform in Saudi Arabia for similar reasons, citing women's treatment in the country as her reason. Regardless of her close friendships with pedophiles and rapists, she was lauded for the decision as a morally righteous one by many people. Dua Lipa's stance on Qatar is just as morally questionable as being performative based on where else she choices to perform. But that's stuff (for both Nikki and Dua Lipa) that you can look up for yourselves if you want.

BTS were questioned about this decision too actually and in an interview stated: “I wouldn’t say the decision it was easy,” Namjoon said. Jimin added: “But we were officially invited. It’s been a while since we’ve performed in the Middle East – I guess the last time was 2015 in Dubai. To put it simply, if there’s a place where people want to see us, we’ll go there. That’s how we feel.”

Many fans stuck up for BTS during this and said that this performance was for their fans, not for the Saudi government. Which is what their reasoning was. They weren't promoting the governments actions or laws or decisions. They weren't supporting it. They were going to see their fans and share love and music with the world. Both BTS and their staff was also praised for being very considerate of Saudi Arabia's cultural customs and giving space to them and following them when they could (such as not wearing gold jewelry, not showing skin during performances they otherwise do, like Serendipity, pausing rehearsals for muslism prayer times, etc)

Similarly again, just more recently in 2022, BTS were invited by the President of the United States to speak at the White House. And they accepted and went, with little criticism in that aspect. Regardless of the fact that the US is steadily stripping human rights away from people more and more, with endless human rights violations and imperialism over the past few years. With children being taken from parents at the border and put in cages, with POC being murdered by the policing force constantly, with LGBTQ people in fear of their basic human rights being taken away, with women's rights to their own bodily autonomy being argued over daily and taken away in many places in the country. They came to speak specifically about one issue, one problem, that they and many of their fans relate to and face. Anti Asian hate crimes. So they accepted. That's not them promoting and accepting and being okay with everything else.

And yes, BTS are known for talking about controversial topics about their own country in their lyrics. Standing up for people and being willing to criticize their Gov and laws at times, this does not make them politicians or responsible for making a statement over everything. That hasn't changed. Their stance on things or how they feel about it. At least, not that I can tell. I don't know Jungkook's or BTS' motivations behind accepting to do a performance at the World Cup or to do a song for them (because they did release a new verison of Yet To Come specifically for Qatar World Cup promotions). Maybe they will make a statement at some point. Maybe they won't unless asked about it. Maybe they just wanted to do something extra for their fans and found this to be a big opportunity to do so. Maybe they are bigger fans of Soccer/Football then we thought and so they were excited about that portion of this as well. We know they like Messi they've said so. They've had multiple good interactions with Son Heungmin, who is a soccer player for South Korea. We also know Korea will be playing in the World Cup to, so maybe they were asked to represent their country more at the World Cup. And they accepted. Similarly to how they accepted to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo with their free Yet To Come concert held in Busan. Despite the issues with that and with South Koreas own issues with government and laws that are heavily conservative against LGBTQ people and woman as well.

So I guess, my point is, we don't know why they accepted. Even if it's as simple as it's a huge opportunity and they just wanted to... I don't think it changes how they've made it clear that they stand in support of queer people, of women, of love. How they really value their fans and people and want the world to be a better place. They just spoke about all these values at the UN recently as well. So no, I don't think world wide fame changed that for them.

BTS are human. They are not perfect. They will make mistakes and will and can grow from the choices they make. You also, as a fan, do not have to like or agree with everything they do. You aren't even necessarily SUPPOSED to. They aren't God's. They shouldn't be placed on a pedestal of beings who can do no wrong. You will then be disappointed. You are allowed to not like this choice or to think it's a bad one. But I don't think this choice means they are supporting the fucked up violations of human rights that are present there nor do i think this choice is indicative of them not being or no longer being good people. And I think saying that this is them supporting those policies is not fact, as anon stated, but opinion. And you are entitled to your opinion and to your feelings over the matter as well. But these are mine and if you are upset solely about one thing with one place they've traveled to, but not the others, that's something that might be cause for some inner reflection as well.

[gncstar]

Women’s sports should be the last place to politicize women’s bodies but instead it’s one of the first. I hear and agree with all the criticisms of Western women being required to wear revealing clothing for their sports. But I am watching WWE again and they are finally allowing the women to go to Saudi Arabia… in full body suits. The only skin they’re allowed to show is their hands and faces, including for the female referees. Wrestling is the one sport where you really want to wear as little clothes as possible. There’s a reason the men are practically naked too, they wouldn’t be doing that otherwise if it wasn’t necessary. All of the women fighting are clearly being held back by their bodysuits in the ring and I cant even enjoy the show knowing that WWE is willing to take the money over their women’s division’s dignity. I’m not surprised at all but I am disappointed.

I guess overall it’s important to remember that different clothing restrictions impact women in different ways globally. And every single restriction is trash. The women in sports know what outfits are best for themselves and their situations and only their decisions matter at the end of the day.

[ahnewsworld]

FIFA names first female international referee from Saudi Arabia | Football News

FIFA names first female international referee from Saudi Arabia | Football News

Anoud al-Asmari is one of eight Saudis on the international panel announced by football’s global governing body. Saudi Arabia’s first female international referee was appointed by FIFA on Thursday, less than a year after the conservative kingdom’s national women’s team made their debut. Anoud al-Asmari’s name was published as part of a list released by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. She…

[calacuspr]

Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Elise Christie & Mark Clattenburg

Every week we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT - ELISE CHRISTIE

October is Mental Health Month in the UK and over the past year, sport has been at the forefront of making it acceptable to discuss emotional wellbeing.

Scottish speed skater Elise Christie is one of the latest to share raw emotions, and recently opened up about a rape ordeal she endured many years ago and the effect it has had on her mental health in the years since.

Along with her struggles with self-harm and medicating, Christie has also previously been open about taking breaks from social media, having often been the victim of online trolls.

Christie, a triple world champion, was expected to win medals in both 2014 and 2018, but crashes and disqualifications meant she was known for her disappointments far more than her successes.

Trolling even made her consider giving up on her beloved sport altogether after the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 and revealed last year how she almost took her own life in 2018. She began to see a psychologist due to the intense mental suffering that the online abuse and bullying caused. 

She explained: "For me it was a big step to even talk about the assault in the first place. I’ve always talked about the fact that I want to help people. There are so many women who have gone through or who might be going through this same situation right now and won’t speak up either.

"I just constantly felt like a medal winning machine for a while, like a robot. I wish I hadn’t got to the point where I felt so undervalued as a human being. That came from a lot of things. Sport was a part of it, how I was handled and the fact that my well-being was never a top priority.

"I was always doubting myself. Part of it was the fact that the mental health side was so new in sport. I didn’t even understand it myself yet."

Christie’s brave decision to re-live her traumas comes at a time when women’s safety is a prominent topic of conversation.

Not only have the revelations about Sarah Everard’s horrific murder recently come to light, but the response to the news has sparked major debate about the current state of women’s safety.

The conversation has shown no signs of slowing down since the initial explosion of social media posts in March, with many either relating to the London Metropolitan Police’s mishandling of the case, the heavy tone of victim blaming that has appeared rife throughout the past few months, or simply encouraging men to take positive action.

Christie, like many other high profile figures, has realised that with the voice and the platform that her sporting career has afforded her, she has the power to start these open, honest and often uncomfortable conversations.

Sharing her story will undoubtedly encourage other women, in sport and beyond, to do the same.

During the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, Simone Biles also used her platform to open a conversation about mental health within sports, after she withdrew from the team gymnastics final. Biles, like Christie, advocates putting mental health above anything else, even including the Olympic Games, particularly after the abuse she suffered at the hands of former team USA doctor, Larry Nassar that continue to affect her.

If one thing can be taken from the horrific ordeals Christie and Biles have faced, it’s that mental health must be taken more seriously in sports. Whilst sport and exercise is often considered to be a massive benefit to mental health, it’s no surprise that the pressures of high level competition can add additional challenges.

Thankfully, due to the bravery of sports people like Christie, mental health welfare is quickly becoming a priority for so many people.

Christie acknowledges the effect her mental health has had on her sport performance as she prepares for the next Winter Olympic Games which take place in Beijing next year.

Whilst still hopeful about the 2022 Games, she says that the competition is no longer about winning for her.

For Christie on a personal level, the real victory is being able to set an example for other women who are struggling - and help them to see that turning your life around is possible.

She added: “It won’t just be about medalling. I also want to be the girl who helped others turn their lives around and the girl who has turned her life around and has come back. That’s why I try to set that example."

MISS – MARK CLATTENBURG

Women’s football has enjoyed a long-overdue resurgence in recent years.

Barclays bank announced that they would become the title sponsor of the Women’s Super League while this year Sky Sports and the BBC announced a landmark deal which will see over 60 games broadcast over the course of the season.

This comes soon after the hugely successful 2019 Women’s World Cup which saw a significant growth in participation at all levels as England reached the semi-finals.

We have even seen a female referee, Stephanie Frappart, make history as the first female to referee a men's UEFA Champions League match, the game between Juventus and Dynamo Kiev in Turin.

But former referee Mark Clattenburg has set back gender equality in football by a few decades by suggesting that female referees must choose between their career and pregnancy.

Speaking on talkSPORT radio, Clattenburg said: “We always had a [female] assistant referee in the Premier League, Sian Massey[-Ellis], and we now have a woman refereeing in the Football League, Rebecca Welch, so women are starting to develop in the men's game.

"If you look at UEFA, for example, the French woman refereed the Super Cup final, so UEFA are getting more and more women.

"The problem with women is, and certainly in refereeing in football, they have a difficult pathway if they get pregnant during their refereeing career - it can stop them a long way. So they have to make this choice: do they want to be pregnant or do they want to be referees?

"They also have to pass the men's fitness tests and a lot of women struggle with the men's fitness tests; because, if you want to be in the men's game, you have to meet that criteria.

"If they pass all this and then choose the right path, I believe that women should be involved in the men's game as well as women being involved in the women's game. When you look at the Women's Super League, for example, there have been some high-profile mistakes. Why not bring in the best referees if you have the best leagues?

"Certainly, when you have a baby, you're out nine or 10 months and then you'll take another six months to recover from your body, so therefore it's nearly two years. And to pass that men's fitness test is very, very demanding."

Women in Football CEO Jane Purdon was quick to condemn Clattenburg’s remarks, stating: “Mark says "the problem with women" is having to choose between carrying a child and their refereeing career, and that being pregnant "can cost you two or three years of your life.

"Women in all professions face challenges in balancing work and family. So do many men - but for men this is never seen as a problem, and men are never expected to choose between the two.

"In fact, many women in elite sport are in a position to resume their sporting careers quickly after giving birth. Others take more time out - by choice or by necessity. Neither of these scenarios is a "problem". The real problem is assumptions about female biology, and gender roles in childcare, which are lazy, outdated or plain false."

Clattenburg is on a charm offensive at the moment, opening the curtain to the mysterious world of football refereeing and dishing the dirt on many of his former officiating colleagues.

He had a fantastic career, taking charge of the 2012 Olympic Games men's final; the 2016 FA Cup final; the 2016 UEFA Champions League final as well as the final of EURO 2016 in France.

He’s no stranger to controversy, though, having been sacked as a referee and then reinstated after what amounted to an eight-month ban after "issues relating to his private business affairs.”

He was then accused of racially abusing Jon Obi Mikel during Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat against Manchester United in 2012, a claim he was later cleared of.

He was also dropped from the Premier League roster after breaking protocol to go and watch Ed Sheeran in concert, with rules dictating that officials must travel to and from the ground together to ensure ther integrity and security.

He admitted speaking to manager Neil Warnock on his car phone, again in contravention of officiating rules and claimed in his book that he was investigated for suspected match-fixing after buying an expensive car and on the field, famously missed Pedro Mendes’ ‘ghost goal’.

Clattenburg shocked the footballing world when at the peak of his success, he quit the Premier League for a lucrative advisory role in Saudi Arabia.

His book tour was supposed to set the record straight and revise opinions amongst fans who might have considered Clattenburg arrogant or a lose cannon.

Sadly, his latest comments play into lazy stereotypes that society and sport have sought to expunge but one wonders if he will do the right thing and apologise.

[marymosley]

Iranian Chess Master Refuses To Return After Being Photographed Without Required Hijab

We recently discussed the defection of Iran’s only Olympic female medalist due to the continuing discrimination and repression of women in that country. Now, Iranian chess master and referee, Shohreh Bayat, 32, has refused to return to Iran after pictures emerged of her without a hijab caused a controversy in the Islamic Republic. The decision is another painful example of the struggle of women under Islamic laws that deny them basic human rights.

Bayat was given the honor of being asked to referree the Women’s World Chess Championship in Shanghai this week. However, the publication of the photograph without her hijab sent Islamic conservatives into a frenzy with a slew of threats and calls for her arrest. Simply because she chose not to cover her hair.

The absurdity of her situation leaves most of us speechless. Islamic conservatives would rather chase successful women out of country than risk other women and girls would start to question the oppressive rules of their country.

Bayat said that the Iranian Chess Foundation sought to pressure her into a public apology. She refused. That act of principle and courage will hopefully inspire other women in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia to continue the fight for equal rights and free speech. Women are being arrested for making their own decisions on questions of faith or expression. They are a symbol of courage for all of us who value human rights.

Iranian Chess Master Refuses To Return After Being Photographed Without Required Hijab published first on https://immigrationlawyerto.tumblr.com/

[torentialtribute]

FIFA agree to expand 2022 Qatar World Cup to 48 teams… and give go ahead to Club World Cup plans

The FIFA Council approved working with Qatar to investigate whether the event extended

They also approved a Club World Cup tournament to be held in 2021

VAR will also be used for the first time for the World Championship for women in France

Mike Keegan for Mailonline

Published: 7:37 PM GMT, March 15, 2019 | Updated: 7:40 PM GMT, March 15, 2019

FIFA The 48-person World Championship in Qatar and another Gulf State in 2022 came closer yesterday after football bosses broke through with plans to extend the competition early. FIFA has granted permission to work with Qatar on the expansion of the 2022 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams and the final decision will be made in June. Qatar would not be forced to share games with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates unless diplomatic relations improve.

The FIFA Council approved President Gianni Infantino's plan to expand the Qatar World Cup He said he believed that a World Cup of 48 teams in Q22 in Qatar & # 39; feasible & # 39; is, and adds: & # 39; If it happens, fantastic. If it doesn't happen, it's fantastic too.

& # 39; The world's largest governing body,

The move is likely to lead to a heavyweight clash between the global authority and UEFA, with leading European clubs opposing the proposal.

A leaked letter from the powerful European Club Association (ECA) to UEFA President

The changes to the Club World Cup will mean the introduction of a 24-team competition, rather than the existing seven, which would probably contain eight clubs from Europe.

Infantini said: & # 39; Now the world will see a real World Club Cup where fans the best teams will see the world compete to be crowned the real world champions

& # 39; Club football is evolving in different parts of the world at different rates & we want an exciting, prestigious and inclusive competition, and we will have that with this Club World Cup, starting in 2021.

We hope all the best teams will participate and we have had some very positive discussions with the UEFA. & # 39;

Video assistant referees have been approved for this year's Women & # 39; s World Cup, starting in France on 7 June.

Male VAR operators are likely to assist all female teams of referees and assistants who are used in the domestic women's competition for video assessment.

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[investmart007]

MOSCOW | The Latest: Serbia holds off Costa Rica 1-0 at World Cup

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/RiOrZu

MOSCOW | The Latest: Serbia holds off Costa Rica 1-0 at World Cup

MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on Sunday at the World Cup (all times local): 4:55 p.m.

Aleksandar Kolarov’s curling free kick in the 56th minute has helped Serbia to a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in its World Cup opener.

Serbia, which missed out on the 2014 World Cup, had the early advantage in a tough group in Russia that includes five-time champion Brazil and Switzerland, who were set to play later Sunday in Rostov-on-Don.

After a scoreless first half, Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas withstood a barrage of Serbian challenges to open the second with the boisterous Costa Rican fans cheering him on at Samara Arena.

But after David Guzman was handed a yellow card, Kolarov curled the free kick over the wall and Navas, who plays for Real Madrid, was not able to reach it. ____ 4:35 p.m.

South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong has warned his players about the new replay system being used for the first time in the World Cup.

He’s telling them that the video assistant referee can’t be tricked. Shin says “the players are aware of this. We are training the players.

There are 32 cameras that are targeting the pitch. So you might be able to fool the referee, but you cannot fool the cameras. The players know this, and that is something we have emphasized.”

Shin is famous for using some trickery in his tactics. But he says his players have been schooled about the new system, which will detect a dive or a faked contact with another player.

He says “the VAR has really come to the forefront and it’s become an important part of the game.” ___ 4:15 p.m.

Captain Aleksandar Kolarov has given Serbia a 1-0 lead against Costa Rica. His free kick curled over the wall and diving Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas wasn’t able to reach it before it sailed into the upper right corner in the 56th minute. The free kick came after a yellow card on Costa Rica’s David Guzman. ___ 3:48 p.m.

The opening half between Costa Rica and Serbia was back and forth, right from the start: Aleksandar Mitrovic’s header was off in the opening minute and moments later Marco Urena’s angled shot for Costa Rica was saved in the left corner by Vladimir Stojkovic.

Following a corner kick, David Guzman popped the ball to Giancarlo Gonzalez but his header sailed over the net in the 12th minute.

Branislav Ivanovic’s cross was knocked out of the box by Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas three minutes later.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic challenged Navas in the 27th from just outside the box, but Navas fell on the ball.

Urena’s right-foot strike from outside the box in the 39th went over the bar. A short time later Calvo’s chance was wide, and Stojkovic gestured for his side to calm down.

Milinkovic-Savic’s bicycle kick from in front of goal was ruled offside in the 42nd. ___ 3:30 p.m.

Mexico fans are agreeing among themselves not to chant what is considered a homophobic slur at the World Cup in Russia to avoid FIFA sanctions.

Instead of the chant, Mexicans plan to sing songs related to a couple of recent scandals in their country at Sunday’s Group F match against Germany.

Mexico’s Football Federation has been fined previously for the chant that fans shout out in unison every time the opposing goalkeeper kicks the ball. Despite campaigns to try to stop it, the chant has continued in the Estadio Azteca in Mexico when the national team plays there.

At last year’s Confederations Cup in Russia amid FIFA threats to suspend a match, El Tri fans practically stopped chanting in the Russian stadium. For the World Cup, fans don’t plan to keep quiet like last year, but instead modify the chants. ____ 3:15 p.m.

Sweden coach Janne Andersson says one of his staff got into a closed South Korea training session and was asked to leave, leading to a squabble between the teams over spying ahead of their World Cup game on Monday.

Andersson says the staffer, who is entrusted with scouting the opposition, thought the practice session at South Korea’s pre-World Cup training camp in Austria was open. Andersson says the coach left when asked and “watched from more of a distance.”

The incident has created a frosty atmosphere between the teams ahead of their game in Nizhny Novgorod.

Andersson says his team analyzes all opponents and the incident has been overblown, but adds “it’s very important that we show respect for opponents … If it has been perceived in another way, we apologize.” ___ 2:40 p.m.

Veteran defender Branislav Ivanovic is set to become Serbia’s most capped international player when he starts against Costa Rica in the World Cup. It will be his 104th international appearance and Serbia’s first at the World Cup in eight years.

The former Chelsea star surpassed Dejan Stankovic, known as “Deki,” who played 103 games for the national team from 1998-2013, through three different eras: Yugoslavia, Serbia-Montenegro and finally Serbia.

Johan Venegas, Francisco Calvo and David Guzman will be making their World Cup debuts for Costa Rica. The rest of the Costa Rica starting lineup was involved in Brazil in 2014, when the team lost a quarterfinal match to Netherlands on penalties.

Lineups:

Costa Rica: Keylor Navas, Johnny Acosta, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Celso Borges, Oscar Duarte, Bryan Ruiz, Johan Venegas, Francisco Calvo, Cristian Gamboa, David Guzman, Marcos Urena.

Serbia: Vladimir Stojkovic, Dusko Tosic, Luka Milivojevic, Branislav Ivanovic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Tadic, Aleksandar Kolarov, Nikola Molenkovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Nemanja Matic, Adem Ljajic. ____ 2:20 p.m.

Midfielder Alan Dzagoev has ruled himself out of Russia’s two remaining World Cup group games because of injury.

Dzagoev hurt his left hamstring during Russia’s opening 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia and tells Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency he’s in pain when walking and will only resume light training Monday.

Dzagoev says “there’s nothing good about the biggest tournament going on without you. I hope I can still play. I hope to God that we make the knockout stages and maybe I’ll be able to play.”

Dzagoev has played 58 times for Russia and was expected to be a key player for the host nation at the World Cup. ___ 12:45 p.m.

Diego Maradona has given his version of an exchange with an Asian fan that witnesses perceived as racist.

British television staff working in Spartak Stadium in Moscow during Argentina’s 1-1 draw with Iceland on Saturday reported seeing Maradona respond to South Korea fans calling his name.

On Twitter, BBC presenter Jacqui Oatley posted that Maradona “obliged with a smile, kiss and wave. Then pulled his eyes to the side in a clearly racist gesture.”

In a Facebook message early Sunday, the Argentina great says he saw “an Asian boy wearing an Argentina T-shirt.”

He adds: “I, from afar, tried to tell them how nice it seemed to me that even the Asians cheer for us. And that’s all, guys, come on.”

FIFA statutes prohibit acts of discrimination by teams, officials and fans at games it organizes.

In a response to The Associated Press, FIFA refers to its anti-discrimination rules without commenting on the incident.

Maradona also apologizes for smoking a cigar in the VIP seats, despite a FIFA ban on smoking at World Cup stadiums. ___ 12:20 p.m.

Moscow police are investigating a taxi crash that injured eight people, including two Mexican World Cup fans, when the driver plowed into pedestrians on a sidewalk near Red Square.

Video circulating on Russian social media and some news websites showed the taxi veering onto the sidewalk Saturday and striking pedestrians. The source of the video was unclear.

City police released a video Sunday of an interrogation session with a man identified as the Kyrgyz taxi driver, in which he says he briefly fell asleep at the wheel in the crash and accidentally accelerated. It was unclear whether the man spoke under duress.

The man says he hadn’t slept in 20 hours, and ran away after the accident because he was afraid that angry bystanders would kill him. He was later detained.

Moscow police would not comment Sunday on whether the crash would affect security measures for the World Cup, which is being held in 11 Russian cities over the next month. Among the security concerns has been the possible use of vehicles as weapons.

The Mexican Embassy told The Associated Press that the two injured female fans met with embassy representatives and were not hospitalized. The Mexican national soccer teams plays against Germany on Sunday in Moscow.

By Associated Press

[mediafocus-blog1]

SHE'S FIGHTING TO EMPOWER SAUDI WOMEN THROUGH SPORTS

New Post has been published on https://mediafocus.biz/shes-fighting-to-empower-saudi-women-through-sports/

SHE'S FIGHTING TO EMPOWER SAUDI WOMEN THROUGH SPORTS

It becomes a very good week. On July 11 — a decade and a 1/2 into Lina Al Maeena’s combat for ladies’ sports activities in Saudi Arabia — the Education Ministry introduced that bodily training in public colleges will begin this autumn. “It’s a massive, massive deal,” Al Maeena tells OZY. “It’s like your Title IX,” she adds, regarding the 1972 federal regulation prohibiting U.S. Excessive schools and schools from discriminating on the idea of gender in any pastime, which includes sports.

When Al Maeena founded Jeddah United (JU), Saudi Arabia’s first private lady basketball membership, in 2003, the authorities did not license lady gyms or golf equipment, and only some elite non-public schools presented sports activities for girls. The group’s players confronted backlash from disapproving own family participants to texted threats and harassment by the known-secular police, Saudi Arabia’s respectable enforcers of strict social mores. But today, after an extended marketing campaign to exchange attitudes toward women’s athletics, the Saudi authorities have written them into Vision 2030, its new economic improvement plan to enhance infrastructure, inspire network sports and guide elite competition.

At the middle of that shift is Al Maeena, whose method has been to rally the community before pushing for tectonic exchange. Armed with information supporting the link between sports and physical fitness, public piety and social values which include tough paintings and commitment, she appears at critics and sees capability allies. It’s a blueprint for development — slow, grassroots and doggedly continual — that has inspired might-be activists for a variety of girls’ rights causes together with lifting prohibitions on driving and gender blending.

“She has driven the envelope for women and women in sports activities, fitness and workout, at the same time as simultaneously staying in the parameters of Saudi society,” says Deborah Packwood, a worldwide sports representative who has laboured with JU.

When her quest began, Al Maeena becomes amongst only a few Saudi girls to develop up exercise. She played basketball at own family gatherings and took PE instructions at her personal faculty. Her interest in sports activities persevered at the University of New Mexico and George Mason University, wherein she played pickup video games even as studying communications and psychology.

Her experience turned into in big part the result of having mother and father, both well-known Saudi newshounds, who believed their daughter must enjoy the equal opportunities as their sons. In Saudi Arabia, a state founded by means of the Al Saud family, who sold an alliance with the conservative religious established order, girls are still criminal minors, requiring the consent of a male family member to journey, paintings and examine. They can’t force, and colleges are gender segregated.

Us of a has modernized due to the fact it’s founding in 1932, however sports activities stay a source of war. Religious pupils have long argued that sports threaten a female’s authentic nature, and if she competes against different women, she might also one day compete against men — risking the cardinal sin of gender blending.

When Al Maeena returned domestic after college in 2000, lady sports activities had been basically prohibited. She married and welcomed her first child, triggering an episode of postpartum depression. “Why don’t you play basketball?” she recalls her husband suggested. So she referred to as her former faculty teammates and installation a game. “I felt higher after an hour and a half of. It’s a mystical impact,” she says. She then decided to make it her undertaking to offer a comparable outlet for other women.Al Maeena released Jeddah United in 2003 and recruited buddies to sign up for the group. Some families have been incredulous, asking how they’d discover a safe practice area — away from guys and the not-secular police. They performed in personal centres and most effective with different girls.

When she determined to make bigger from a single group to a schooling Academy in 2006, Saudi’s General Authority for Sport didn’t license ladies’ golf equipment. So Al Maeena registered as a business with the Ministry of Commerce — just one example of how Saudi girls have poked holes in a gadget in search of to circumscribe their lives.

JU grew quietly until 2009, while the group travelled to Jordan for a sport broadcast on Saudi cable station Al Arabiya. After the match, newspapers published cowl memories full of outrage and decrying moral decline. Conservative clerics advised followers to “defend” their daughters, other halves and sisters from athletics. “Do no longer distort the respect and recognition of Saudi women,” exhorted one among many online commentators.

The experience told Al Maeena she had to consciousness her energy at the community as a lot because of the group. So JU took to social media and gave interviews to speak an easy message: Sport builds character and improves well-being, in step with Islamic values. Over time, and by means of going to tremendous lengths to allay community worries, JU located itself embraced. Bandar Ashour, whose dual sisters were a number of the first to enrol in the crew, says the club’s sensitive approach “changed into comforting for us, to realize that they were going to play in a contained environment.”

In 2012, Saudi Arabia sent its first-ever girl athletes to the Summer Olympics. A year later, then–King Abdullah appointed the primary ladies to the united states’ advisory parliament. And for the primary time, JU’s demanding situations had been more logistical — locating sufficient girl referees and coaches — than cultural.

At an out of doors practice in Jeddah, parents of younger gamers accumulate along the sidelines. “I am thinking about joining myself,” one mom tells OZY as she watches her eight- and 10-12 months-vintage play. “I’ve observed my daughter is trying greater at school.”

With Vision 2030, the Saudi government has committed to raising the popularity of sports activities inside the nation — and boosting physical interest among men and women alike. “It feels very validating,” Al Maeena says. Last December, King Salman appointed Al Maeena to the Shura Council, charged with advising the cabinet on rules, wherein she continues to trumpet the significance of gambling sports activities. Looking ahead, she says implementation could be the primary project: schooling sufficient girl coaches, sports managers and athletes to elevate generations of energetic ladies.

But when it comes to the assembly that assignment, Al Maeena can be geared up. She has, in the end, spent her existence making the case.

[wavenetinfo]

GRETNA, Neb. — Lanyard Burgett sits uncomfortably outside a coffee shop in an outlet mall, occasionally craning his neck to see whether someone is behind him. Burgett says he served in the Air Force in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s, but was never as afraid there as he is right now.

His angst is over the events of a youth soccer tournament in Nebraska last weekend.

Burgett says his life has been threatened, and his phone has been bombarded with numerous intimidating calls from blocked numbers. He has filed a report with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office. Burgett is not normally a paranoid man, but he was awoken Tuesday night to what he believes was the sound of someone trying to break into his house. He’d been asleep for three hours at that point. It was one of the longest nights he has slept since all this started five days ago.

His body language is a contorted mess of anger, fear and resignation. Burgett has been a ref and a coach and a soccer dad, but right now, the volunteer director of the Ray Heimes Springfield Soccer Invitational never wants to be involved in a soccer tournament again. He is seated across from a public relations person named Gina Pappas, and has come with a stapled packet of soccer rules and a roster — evidence, if you will. Less than a week ago, Burgett’s world was grandkids and making sure he had enough medals for his tournament — a simple life in the small town of Springfield, Nebraska, population 1,600. Now Burgett has a P.R. person.

About 30 minutes away, in Omaha, an 8-year-old girl is being flooded with media requests. Mili Hernandez had two TV interviews on Tuesday night, and she was late because her father, Gerardo, couldn’t find her. She was out playing with a friend, oblivious to the fact that she has become the face of a debate over sports and gender rights. Mili doesn’t have Barbie dolls; she has soccer balls. On Sunday, when her Azzurri Cachorros Chicas team was disqualified from the tournament in Springfield, reportedly because tournament officials were convinced the short-haired Mili was a boy, the story took off, thrusting her into international prominence.

U.S. Soccer legends Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach sent their support to young Mili, whose full name is Milagros, which in Spanish means “miracles.”

“You’re inspiring,” Wambach told Mili in a video. “You’re a natural-born leader, honey, and I’m so proud of you.”

But like most scenarios involving parents, youth sports and about 1,000 kids running around a grassy patch of land, this story is far from simple.

Burgett tugs on his plastic water bottle. At least twice in the conversation, he looks as if he’s going to cry. He was torn when he heard about Hamm and Wambach reaching out to Mili. He’s happy that the little girl might get to meet them, and upset that he, in this equation, is portrayed as the monster who created the controversy.

He thumbs through his packet of soccer papers, which are marked in yellow highlighter. Two decades in the military taught him to be regimented, even in chaos. It taught him to follow the rules.

“I would like to have the opportunity to maybe sit down with the parents and talk to them and apologize to her,” he says. “Because I want her to know it wasn’t about her. I’ve got grandkids. I wouldn’t want somebody to do it to them when they play soccer.

“I’d like to give them my side. They might understand; they might not. At least then they’d know from my side why I did what I did.”

Many sides to the story

Where do we begin? With the coach who complained about a rule that has nothing to do with gender confusion? With the anonymous parents who asked why a boy was playing on a girls’ team?

Burgett contends that young Mili had nothing to do with the Azzurri girls’ team being kicked out of the Springfield tournament Saturday night. He says he disqualified three Azzurri teams, not just Mili’s. Yes, there was a dispute over whether Mili was a girl that became even more confusing when the team’s roster, a list that has been used for months, had an “M” for male next to her name. There are 14 girls on that roster, and the only one who fell victim to the typo is the kid who just happens to have short hair. How that happened remains unclear.

But Burgett says the teams were disqualified because they violated another rule. Azzurri played kids on multiple teams in the tournament. Burgett presents a piece of paper that Mo Farivari, the director of the Azzurri soccer club, signed at check-in. Six lines above his signature, in caps, is a sentence that says if illegal players are caught, they face possible removal from the tournament. Then Burgett shows a highlighted page that explains the rule, that a kid can’t play on two teams.

Farivari doesn’t deny that the club had players competing on multiple teams during the tournament. Three girls on Mili’s team also played for Azzurri’s 11/12 boys’ team during the tournament. So did a few players on the club’s 10-and-under boys’ team. But Farivari says they’ve done this before, it’s legal at his tournament, and he was never told that it was against Springfield’s rules. Farivari is also convinced Mili’s team was disqualified because of the gender controversy.

“The only reason he disqualified them,” Farivari says, “is because Mili looks like a boy and is listed [with] a typo on the roster. I went over this to clarify, but he didn’t want to listen.”

The gender flap, in and of itself, is confusing. Soccer clubs have a registrar who types in the names of each player, along with information such as date of birth and gender. Months ago, when Azzurri’s registrar was inputting the 300-plus club names into the Nebraska State Soccer Association system, Farivari says, the registrar accidentally hit “male” instead of “female” for Mili. That error apparently was never corrected.

So for months, Mili played soccer games with the wrong gender attached to her name, and heard nary a peep about it. Even a rules-stickler like Burgett didn’t notice during registration as he pored through hundreds of names last week.

Tournament officials first noticed it Saturday. Burgett was gone for a few hours to attend a wedding, leaving duties to his assistants. That morning, Mili’s team was scheduled to play the Norris Titans Blue team after 11 o’clock. Norris had played earlier that morning, and members of the team were watching a boys’ game before warm-ups.

When three girls who played on that Azzurri boys’ team took the field for warm-ups before the Titans’ girls’ game against Mili’s team, Norris coach Brad Kester took notice. It bothered him a bit. “If that was legal,” Kester says, “I would’ve had two teams in the tournament if I could’ve shared players.”

There are reasons for that rule, Kester says. Temperatures climbed into the 90s in Eastern Nebraska this past weekend, and he says safety is an issue when a kid is possibly playing eight games over the course of three days.

Kester alerted a referee about the rules infraction, but he did not protest the game, which he says Norris won 4-0. It was the Chicas’ first loss of the tournament. During the game, Kester says that his players could hear parents yelling for Azzurri to “pass HIM the ball.” That puzzled Kester. He says the shouts were coming from Azzurri parents.

“It didn’t really matter to me,” Kester says. “We didn’t complain about Mili’s role in the game. It had no impact on the game. It’s not like we saw Mili before the game and we’re like, ‘Hey, that player looks like a boy.'”

After the game, when Kester was talking to a tournament official about the player-swapping infraction, he said at least one parent from Norris chimed in and asked, “Why do they have a boy on the team?” Kester declined to identify the parent. Burgett says multiple parents asked that question.

By late Saturday, Burgett and his staff were investigating both issues. Burgett went through the roster and saw the “M” for male. He says he did not actually see what Mili looked like until Monday night, when he finally turned on a television and saw her on the news. (He says he intentionally avoided TV and the internet before that.) Burgett says it didn’t matter what documentation Mili’s family, or the club, presented. His official document, the roster, said she was a boy. And in his mind, the point was moot anyway, because her team, along with two other Azzurri squads, were being disqualified for the player-sharing infraction.

At 11:12 p.m. on Saturday night, he sent Farivari an email informing him that the teams were disqualified. In detail, he listed four infractions. Three of them were about sharing players. But the first one on the list dealt with Mili.

She was not named — Burgett says he made a point throughout the whole process not to single her out — but the paragraph said the Chicas’ first infraction was having a male play three games on a female team.

“I am sorry to inform of this decision,” Burgett wrote about the infractions, “but cheating is not taken lightly and they will forfeit their remaining games.”

Mili back on the field; Burgett not so quick to return

Gerardo Hernandez’s phone has been ringing nonstop. When he got word Sunday morning that his daughter’s team was being disqualified from the tournament, he rushed from his home in midtown Omaha to Springfield, desperately — and unthinkably — trying to prove that Mili was a girl.

Gerardo was angry, but he had to get there so Mili’s team could play. He brought with him an insurance card to prove his daughter’s gender. He was ready to recite any information they needed.

“I said I have something in my wallet I want to show him,” Gerardo says. “He didn’t even take it. He didn’t care. He said somebody was a boy on the team, and there’s nothing we can do.”

Mili went with him to Springfield. Gerardo says she felt like the whole team got kicked out because of her, and she felt terrible. She cried the whole ride home, he says.

“She went to sleep thinking she was going to play … ” Gerardo says. “Early morning, they told her she was out.”

The Nebraska State Soccer Association did not respond to questions from espnW.com, but said in an email that Springfield tournament officials disqualified an all-girls team for incorrectly listing a member as “male” on its roster in violation of tournament rules. The NSSA said that despite initial media reports, team officials said the squad was not disqualified because of physical appearances but because of incorrect paperwork submitted. The NSSA said it was suspending the sanctioning of the Springfield Invitational until a detailed review took place.

In a statement, executive director Casey Mann said Nebraska State Soccer “was founded on the values of teamwork and inclusion.”

Mili hasn’t had to worry about exclusion in the days since her story went viral. Hamm has invited her to her camp this summer, and Mili plans to go. Farivari says he got a call from Columbus, Nebraska, offering the team a chance to play in a tournament there this weekend, free of charge.

Thursday night, according to Azzurri coach Mario Torres, Mili’s teammates plan to cut their hair after practice as a sign of support for her.

Mili is kicking a soccer ball around again and playing with her friends. She seems ready for things to go back to normal. “I want to forget about all this,” she told Omaha ABC affiliate KETV.

Burgett isn’t sure when things will be normal again, but he has no plans to help out with soccer anymore. “I don’t have the passion for it right now,” he says.

For years, when he handed out medals at the tournament, he choked up with emotion. He’s not quite sure why a strict military man would do that, almost cry when a kid received a medal. He just did.

“I’ve had angry parents, angry coaches when I’ve refereed,” he says. “But I’ve never felt that I had to protect myself.

“My wife and daughter are worried right now. They’re just worried because we’ve never been in this situation.”

9 June 2017 | 10:25 am

Source : ABC News

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