Women race in rare track meet in Hamas-ruled Gaza

About 40 women in tracksuits and headscarves have competed in a rare track meet in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The athletes ran 100, 400 and 1,500 meters in Saturday's championship. Some raced barefoot and others waved to cheering spectators during their races. Runner Ghada al-Zamt came third in the 1,500 meters. She says women's athletics are not encouraged in Gaza. Participants in Saturday's meet included university students and amateur athletes. Gaza's Muslim rulers — and most residents — disapprove of women's sports because it can reveal their body shape. It is also difficult for athletes to compete internationally because Gaza's borders have been virtually sealed by Israel and Egypt since the Hamas takeover in 2007.

Palestinian girls take part in a race during a track meet for Gazan women at the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, Saturday, May 8, 2010. The sporting event was co-sponsored by the Palestinian Olympic Committee and the UN in order to encourage Gazan women to do more sports. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Palestinian girls cheer for women athletes, not seen, during a track meet at Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, Saturday, May 8, 2010. The sporting event was co-sponsored by the Palestinian Olympic Committee and the UN in order to encourage Gazan women to do more sports. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

A Palestinian girl takes part in the long jump during a track meet at Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, Saturday, May 8, 2010. The sporting event was co-sponsored by the Palestinian Olympic Committee and the UN in order to encourage Gazan women to do more sports. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Source: The Associated Press

Muslim Women are Taking Part in Aqua-aerobic and Swimming Events

All these year’s Muslim females have faced the problem of finding an appropriate swimwear which adheres to the Koran, which requires a woman to cover everything except her face, hands and feet.

The swimwears available in the market were either not targeted for the Muslim women as they led to show of skin or were unpractical for swimming. To aptly describe how uncomfortable the swimwear designed for Muslimahs was I shall quote Aheda Zanetti who wrote to the National Geographic News stating “As an active Muslim girl, I found it difficult to participate in most sports, because of all the excess clothes we were wearing. And the veil very unpractical when playing sports”.

For a market that was not targeted by big market share holders like Nike scattering small companies took the initiative of designing something fruitful for Muslimahs. People like Zanetti, Oliver Momeni and Hasema saw a great potential and design need in the market of swimwear for Muslimahs. Zanetti, is the owner of Ahiida, an Australian company that designs women’s sportswear. Oliver Momeni started his venture of Bodykini in 2007, based in Spain and Hasema a Turkish company started designing a line of swimwear for men, women and kids. Among all these products the most admired and reviewed is “Bodykini”.

Surely, Oliver had the support and opinions of his Iranian family members and an experience of over 20 years in the family textile business. Before designing the final product “Bodykini”, Oliver conducted a lot of market research and held talks with many Muslim women. In the course of his time, he learned the important attributes targeted while designing the swimsuit. He designed Bodykini which is a complete blend of a swimsuit that looks great, designed for modest comfort, adheres to Islam’s tradition and most importantly lets women swim without any fear.

It does so by removing all the excess fabric that the previous swimwear provided like the veil, pants and skirts. Oliver incorporated every thing into 2 main piece of clothing: a shirt with a hijood that serves as a close-fitting headpiece, which firmly lays on the head without slipping and a pant. The fabric used is a high quality water-repellent fabric that is not only highly Chlorine resistant but also provides protection from ultraviolet rays. The advantage of using a Polyester material is that it has low water absorbency, dries fast and ensures complete stretch in all directions leading to comfortable swimming or aqua-sport.

The Bodykini comes in two colors to choose from and two unique features. The first feature is the two elastic bands that are attached at the inside of the pants that get buttoned to the inside of the suit, which prevent the suit from floating in case the swimmer performs a feet first dive. The second feature is the small pocket with a zipper in the pants; ideal for keeping small items like keys or money.

So now, with products like Bodykini both the problems namely: meeting the Islamic traditional requirements and availability of a comfortable swimming garment for women, are solved. Bodykini is available online at bodykini. com. Along with this Bodykini has been launched in the Middle East and is available in Dubai at Al Boom Marine retail stores or at the Dubai Ladies Club.

Now, Islamic women can remain more active and enjoy the aqua sports with the power of Bodykini. The Bodykini modest swimwear is becoming popular among not just the Muslim population but also among all those women who love to cover their bodies and prevent the tans while enjoying the relaxing water.

Having said all this, Oliver Momeni is not just being thanked by all Muslim women for introducing such a wonderful product in the market but the big players are looking forward to promote products like Bodykini which is showing a very good grip on the swimwear market. Taylor, of Azizah Magazine, says that

“In another 15 years there’s going to be a sizable Muslim consumer market and lots of demand”.

I think we’re where the Hispanic market was 20 years ago, and today the Hispanic market is a big consumer market. ” Further more, Arun Jain, a marketing professor at the University of Buffalo in New York State, agrees and states that given the growth potential of the Muslim community in the United States, major sportswear manufacturers could be missing out on an opportunity to break into an emerging market. Moreover, more than just the Muslim women the modern world women comprising of Christian, Jews and others don’t feel the need to show off their bodies and strive to be modest.

Source: http://www.aerobics-cardio.wealthyboys.com/muslim-women-are-taking-part-in-aqua-aerobic-and-swimming-events/

Muslim Women and Physical Education in Initial Teacher Training

Abstract:

Although under-researched, there is some evidence to suggest that Muslim females can experience difficulties with traditional approaches to physical education. Based infigurational theory, this field study investigation enabled the author/researcher to examine the relational dynamics influencing institutional and physical education course developments as female Muslim students underwent a 4-year primary Initial Teacher Training Degree course at 'Greenacres' College, England. Interview, observation and diary data were collected, analysed and collated. Findings indicated a gradual unforeseen and unplanned process of negotiated accommodation as the management and staff responded to the expressed needs of the Muslim women whilst ensuring State requirements for teacher training were met. One outcome was a reciprocal shift, in attitude towards physical education amongst the Muslim students

Citation:

TY - JOUR
JO - Sport, Education and Society
PB - Routledge
AU - Benn, Tansin
TI - Muslim Women and Physical Education in Initial Teacher Training
SN - 1357-3322
PY - 1996
VL - 1
IS - 1
SP - 5
EP - 21

Available: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content?file.txt

Turkey’s female cirit players on hunt for competition

Members of Turkey’s only all-female cirit team must compete against men due to the lack of other female athletes who play the equestrian sport.

The women of the Uşak Women’s Equestrian Sports Club’s cirit team recently finished a scrimmage match with a male cirit team as part of the Spring Festival in Uşak’s Ulubey district, held to benefit orphans and persons with disabilities. The match ended with a win for the men’s team. In a statement to the press following the match, Uşak Women’s Equestrian Sports Club Team Captain Aysun Yılmaz (29) said the lack of female competition is a major problem for her team.

Cirit is a sport played by teams on horseback, who attempt to hit each other with blunt-tipped wooden javelins. It came to Turkey from Central Asia and was popular among the Ottoman Empire’s cavalry.

Explaining that over the course of the past seven years, through competitions in various provinces, her team had proved their mettle in scrimmage matches, Yılmaz said: “We are the children of mothers and fathers who were cirit players. In each of our families, there is at least one other person who played or plays cirit. In the area we grew up in, horses were like part of our families. Eventually we asked, well why can’t women play cirit? And we came together seven years ago to do this.”

The first team of women cirit players was highly successful, Yılmaz explained, but soon ran into trouble. “The women that married stopped showing up for matches because their husbands didn’t give them permission to play. The team was constantly being reassembled. Right now, the club has seven athletes. The youngest female cirit player is 16 years old. We’re trying with the means at our disposal to bring this equestrian sport to prominence. We don’t all have horses; we ride the men’s team’s horses and train with them. From time to time, we participate in scrimmages like these. Our aim is to introduce cirit and make it loved,” she said.

Another of the team’s members, Seda Yıldırım (20), explained the difficulty they faced because of the lack of other women’s cirit teams in Turkey. The university student, who has been riding horses for 10 years, said: “It’s hard to play matches with men -- their arms are much stronger and they’re able to throw harder. We’re as good as they are on horseback, but the spears we throw don’t go as far; this makes it hard for us.”

Yıldırım expressed hope that rumors of women’s cirit teams assembling in other parts of Turkey will prove true. “I hope the number of women cirit players increases; then we’ll play with them. And I think that one day we will also beat the men,” she said.

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-210470-turkeys-female-cirit-players-on-hunt-for-competition.html

Yanit voted European Female Athlete of the Month for July - European Athletics (EAA)

European Athletics is pleased to announce that Turkish hurdler Nevin Yanit have been voted as the European Female Athlete of the Month for July.

The 24-year-old Yanit went into the history books as Turkey’s first sprint hurdles champion after clocking a national record 12.63 in Barcelona.

It was a great turnaround in fortunes for an athlete who had failed to even finish in her heat in Göteborg four years ago.

The European Athlete of the Month initiative was launched in January 2007 and is designed to recognise outstanding performers at all levels of the sport in Europe. European Athletics names a male and female winner each month and features the athlete on the European Athletics website. Selections are based on votes by the public, media and a panel of European Athletics experts – each counting for 33.3% of the final vote. No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for or win the European Athlete of the Month award.

2010 previous winners:

Month	Male	Country	Female	Country
June	Teddy Tamgho	FRA	Anita Wlodarczyk	POL
May	Andreas Thorkildsen	NOR	Jessica Ennis	GBR
April	Gerd Kanter	EST	Liliya Shobukhova	RUS
March	Teddy Tamgho	FRA	Jessica Ennis	GBR
February	David Gillick	IRL	Elvan Abeylegesse	TUR
January	Ivan Ukhov	RUS	Jessica Ennis	GBR

BARCELONA, SPAIN - JULY 30: Nevin Yanit of Turkey competes in the Womens 100m Hurdles Heats during day four of the 20th European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on July 30, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain.

Source: European Athletics (EAA) - News

More Pictures of Muslim Sportswomen From Youth Olympics

The girls soccer team of Iran pose for photographers during the Youth Olympics Games Girls' Preliminaries Group A soccer match between Turkey and Iran on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Nastaran Moradloo of Iran, left, and Eda Duran of Turkey, right, run for the ball during the Youth Olympics Games Girls' Preliminaries Group A soccer match between Turkey and Iran on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Eda Karatas of Turkey reacts during the Youth Olympics Games Girls' Preliminaries Group A soccer match between Turkey and Iran on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2010, in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jblbFYF9R2Ld5oKLnf0KFn6CxdkgD9HIN3180

Egyptian woman will make history at Youth Olympics

By MICHAEL CASEY (AP) –

SINGAPORE — When Jihan El Midany leads the Egyptian delegation into Saturday's opening ceremony of the inaugural Youth Olympics, it will be a historic moment for her country.

The 18-year-old pentathlete will become the first woman from Egypt to serve as a flag bearer at an Olympic event. And if she wins a medal as expected in the competition that includes swimming, shooting, fencing and running, she would be the first woman from her country to do so at an Olympic event.

El Midany said she hopes her prominent role will inspire girls across the Muslim world to take up sports.

"I'm hoping I can be a good role model," El Midany said Friday as she walked through the athletes' village. "I want to prove that the veil does not have to prevent girls from doing anything."

The Youth Olympics, which runs through Aug. 26, features about 3,600 competitors aged 14 to 18 from 204 countries competing in the same 26 sports on the current Summer Olympics program.

El Midany's success comes at a time when girls across the Muslim world are making historic progress in sports, starting soccer leagues and competing in boxing and wrestling. That would have been unheard of just a few years ago.

For the first time, Qatar is sending girls to an Olympic competition. And Iranians agreed to send a girls soccer team after reaching a compromise that allows them to wear hats rather than the banned head scarves.

Yet many girls still face insurmountable hurdles, from conservative societies that frown on sports to families that would rather keep their daughters at home. El Midan almost abandoned the pentathlon this year after the sports governing body required athletes to wear swimsuits that exposed the neck, shoulder and legs. It's less modest than the suit she wore that covered the entire body.

El Midany said she was "disappointed" by the ruling, but got the blessing of her family and sporting authorities to compete in Singapore. She admits feeling "uncomfortable" in the new suit, but knows the swimming event doesn't last long.

Sharif A. El-Erain, the vice president of the Egyptian Federation of Modern Pentathlon, acknowledges it is much harder to recruit girls than boys. He's hoping El Midany's success will bring the federation more attention, more money and more female athletes.

"For me, that is a dream," he said of an Egyptian woman winning a medal. "We came so close in the last Olympics, so if we can make it here, it would be great. It will get us more recognition."

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Aya Medany finished eighth in the pentathlon.

While El Midany was talking of making history, most athletes had their sights on more modest goals — winning medals, reaching personal bests and making friends. Many athletes spent Friday training and mingling with teammates at the sprawling village housed at a local university.

Some critics have derided the new event as little more than a summer camp with little support from local Singaporeans. But there was no indication that the athletes were taking the event lightly.

"This is the closest thing to the Olympics. It's the junior Olympics," said American Amber Bryant-Brock, a 16-year-old 400-meter hurdler. "This is big. I'm anxious and I'm ready to compete. It's scary because it's anybody's race."

Simone Meyer, a 17-year-old South African discus thrower, called the competition a "road to 2012," referring to the London Olympics. She's the top discus thrower in her country's age group.

"It will be a great experience," she said. "It's an opportunity of a lifetime. You will learn so much."

For Armando Moss of the Bahamas, competing in the first Youth Olympics will be satisfaction enough. The 18-year-old swimmer said he hopes to finish in the top eight in two events.

"This is the biggest meet of my life," Moss said. "I'm taking it seriously. It's an honor to be in the first Youth Olympics. My name will go down in history for being part of it."

Source: The Associated Press

The Islamic Federation of Women Sport (IFWS) Is Shut Down Due to Budget Cuts

Fararu - The Islamic Federation of Women['s] Sport (IFWS) [http://www.ifws.org/], headed by Faezeh Hashmi, was shut down due to the National Olympics Committee not paying it's budget.

The IFWS announced in a statement that the federation's budget, which should be allocated based on clause 16 of article 3 of the statue of the National Olympics Committee, has not been payed since the beginning of the current [Persian] year [March 21st]. Also the contracts of four employees of this office have not been extended, unlike previous years, and the rest of personnel have been summoned to the [National Olympics] committee, leaving the office with no practical means to continue its activities.

The statement continues: it is an obvious fact that this federation does not belong to Faezeh Hashemi [footnote: A reference to the possibility that these events may be politically motivated by those who oppose Faezeh Hashemi, and her father, former president Hashemi Rafsanjani.], but it belongs to Muslim women in Iran and throughout the world who have been able to reclaim part of their neglected rights directly or indirectly through the activities of this federation and its effects all over the world .

This federation was officially founded in a meeting of the executive board of the National Olympics Committee in 1990 and should have been funded by this Committee based on it's statue.

Source: http://www.ifws.org/, Translated by Sara Khoshid Doost

Of Hockey and Hijab: Reflections of a Canadian Muslim Woman by Sheema Khan

In 2002, The Globe and Mail asked columnist Sheema Khan to share her personal insights on Islam and Muslim life in the wake of 9/11. Of Hockey and Hijab, a compilation of these essays, is provocative, intelligent, and – given the thorny nature of the issues explored – surprisingly accessible. Each concise piece looks at a political, religious, or social issue, and succeeds in bringing both wisdom and humour to subjects the average newspaper reader might shy away from.

The collection covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from the Maher Arar affair to a woman’s right to wear a hijab while playing soccer. Khan fearlessly confronts Islamophobia head on, advising readers not to make damaging generalizations while expressing her disdain for the rise of terror and fanaticism. The final section of the book, “The Rights of Women,” dissects some of the more controversial and misunderstood issues around religious patriarchy and sexism.

Khan has a knack for exposing the hypocrisy of public perception and media interpretation. In “What Close-minded Liberals Can Learn from a Rape Victim,” she calls out liberals and progressives who fail to see that their so-called “open-mindedness” is actually limited to those who share similar world-views. She eviscerates the popular belief that devout Muslim women are “poor ill-informed souls” who have no ability to think for themselves. For many, she argues, a secular outlook can be dissatisfying, and she points out that denying someone’s choice to seek out spiritual fulfillment is the furthest thing from progressive.

There are readers who might find Kahn a bundle of contradictions: a modern liberal scholar, a hockey and soccer mom, and a practising Muslim. For that very reason, hers is a voice rarely heard in mainstream media, and her contribution to our ongoing cultural conversation is a valuable one. As Khan herself puts it, without taking the time to recognize the multifaceted nature of the issues at hand, we are in danger of becoming “casual observers who assume so much and know so little.”

Reviewed by Stacey May Fowles

Source: http://www.quillandquire.com/reviews/review.cfm?review_id=6698

Morocco takes gold in 400m race

Morocco's quest to win more medals in the Senior Africa athletics Championship was boosted on the final day on Sunday as Hayat Lambarki won the women's 400m hurdle.

It was always going to be a close contest with Nigeria and Liberia seeking to exert their dominance in the sprint hurdle race. But at the first bent, Lambark had gained the edge over her rivals and relaxed.

Nigeria's Ajoke Odumosu started eating up the gap and by the third bent was level with the Moroccan while Maureen Jelegat of Kenya emerged from behind to claw her way into contention.

As the trio came for the final straight, it was Lambarki who was stronger to win in 55.96 second while Odumosu was the silver medalist in 55.97 with Jelegat winning a rare medal for Kenya in the sprints as she came in third for the bronze in 56.74.

Liberia's Kuo Lougon was fourth in 57.17 ahead of Burundi's Aissata Soulama 57.19 while Madagascar's Olga Razanamalala 57.51 was sixth. Wenda Theron of South Africa 57.70 was seventh with Carole Made Kaboud 58.05 finishing last.

Source: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90779/90867/7088806.html

Women's 400m hurdles gold winner Hayat Lambarki of Morocco (C) poses on the podium with her compatriot and silver medallist Lamia el-Habz (L) and bronze winner Faiza Jumaa Omar of Sudan during the 16th Arab Atheltics Championships in Damascus on October 9, 2009.

Abeylegesse From Turkey Wins Gold Medal In 10000m Race In Barcelona

BARCELONA - Turkish athlete Elvan Abeylegesse won women's 10,000m at the European Athletics Championships at Barcelona's Olympic stadium.

Abeylegesse, Turkey's first world record holder, --at 5,000m in Bergen in 2004-- clinched Turkey's first gold medal at the championship on Wednesday.

Turkish athlete finished the race in 31 minutes 10.23 seconds, 12 seconds ahead of Russia's Inga Abitova. Portuguese runner Jessica Augusto finished in third place.

"I am now very happy to win the gold medal in 10,000m. I was a little bit afraid just before the race because of strong rivals and the wind. I have won silver in all previous races but today I won the gold," Elvan told the A.A after the race.

She also said that she had a minor injury in her foot and that she has not yet decided whether or not she would run 5,000m women's final.

Meanwhile, another Turkish athlete, Meryem Erdogan, came fifth in the race with her 31 minutes 44.86 seconds run

Source: http://www.aa.com.tr/index.php?option=com_haber&popup=hayrinti&haber_id=282386

Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse (R) receives a bouquet of flowers after winning the women's 10,000m final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on July 28, 2010. AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images)(Photo Credit should Read /AFP/Getty Images)

13th Sindh Games begin today

KARACHI: As many as 10 gold medals will be at stake in the men and women’s athletics events of 13th Sindh Games starting at PSB Coaching Centre here on Monday. Fastest men and women of the province will appear in the 100meter dash during the opening ceremony of the games. Earlier in the morning, 800meters, 5000meters races, javelin throw and long jump in the men’s category will be held. In the women category, 100meters sprint, 800meters, 1500meters races, javelin and long jump will be held.

Almas Ibrahim of Karachi gave outstanding performance in last year’s Larkana Games where she grabbed as many as eight gold medals by winning 100meters, 200meters, 400meters, 800meters, 1500meters, 5000meters, 4x100 and 4x400 relay races. Teenager Almas will be again main attraction of the games for the host city.

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\14\story_14-6-2010_pg2_7