Sardar Pashaei, a former Iranian wrestling champion, said he witnessed female athletes in his country receiving lashings for appearing in public without a hijab.[1]
Pashaei told Fox News Digital he now observes mistreatment of female athletes in the United States in another form: retaliation against those who object to transgender women, who are biological males, competing in women's sports categories.[1]
"For me, it's not really acceptable if I hear that people will be silenced when they think that something is unfair to them," Pashaei said. "I'm against silencing athletes. If they have a concern, if they think that something is not fair for them, because as an athlete, you know, you have to have a lot of discipline, spend a lot of energy to get to that level, and then you know, this is your dream to become a world champion or an Olympic champion. So for all of athletes, it should be an equal opportunity and also atmosphere that everybody can speak and also share any concern that they have."[1]
Pashaei, winner of the 1998 World Youth Wrestling Championship, called on the International Olympic Committee to protect the women's category.[1]
"I think the International Olympic Committee should pay attention to this and also based on the scientific norm, try to create an equal field opportunity for everybody to compete," he said. "And everybody should compete in the sport in the field in the level that they are supposed to be in. And I know this is becoming complicated but I think every athlete in the world, they want to have a fair game to compete."[1]
A Center Square Voters' Voice poll of 2,659 registered voters, including 952 Republicans, 934 Democrats and 773 independents, found 68% support for the U.S. Supreme Court upholding state bans on transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Support stood at 88% among Republicans and 49% among Democrats.[2][3]
Sources
- Fox News Digital
Article title: "Iranian wrestling champ who saw lashings for female athletes not wearing hijab now sees 'mistreatment' of women in US 'in a different way'"
Publication date: October 11, 2024
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/iranian-wrestling-champ-seen-lashings-female-athletes-hijab-now-sees-mistreatment-us-different-way - The Center Square
Article title: "Voters Voice Poll: Most voters support protecting women’s sports from males"
Publication date: October 10, 2024
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_5f3d4e1a-86a9-11ef-9b5a-8742e91f23d3.html - Fox News Digital
Article title: "Iranian wrestling champ who saw lashings for female athletes not wearing hijab now sees 'mistreatment' of women in US 'in a different way'" (poll reference)
Publication date: October 11, 2024
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/iranian-wrestling-champ-seen-lashings-female-athletes-hijab-now-sees-mistreatment-us-different-way
