DOHA, 12 December 2006 — The Gulf is slowly being bridged. Not only in the growing number of golds by Gulf teams, but also in the growing number of competitors in varied disciplines in the Asian Games.
The most visible change is the rising number of women competitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East region going for the gold.
Traditions and conservative attitudes had prevented GCC and Iranian girls from showcasing their skills in sporting arenas. But the Asian Games 2006 here has brought about a refreshing change with the women from conservative countries, albeit keeping their traditions of the hijab and modest dressing, stepping forward in their pursuit of excellence on the sports field.
Hosts Qatar led the way by adding to their contingent 49 women, and the number is growing with every sports event and every year.
“The number of Qatari women taking part in the Asian Games has increased this time, with 49 Qatari women competing. We have, for the first time, a GCC woman participating in the dressage equestrian event. The participation of Wijdan Al-Malki, 23, in Asiad 2006 was itself a major victory,” said Ahlam Al-Manea, Qatari women’s team coordinator.
The Qatari women participated in 11 disciplines — archery, swimming, chess, sailing, gymnastics, fencing, taekwondo, karate, judo, shooting and golf.
Though the team dress code has been modest, some of them wear hijab while others don’t. It is a purely personal decision, Al-Manea said, while adding: “Women shooters wore their scarves and abayas and were in no way discomforted by their outfits, while the two swimmers opted to cover their body with long swimming suits. We encourage them to participate, and also dress modestly so as not to break away from the Gulf traditions.”
Archer Nada Zeidan, who has been practicing the discipline since 2004, personifies the newfound confidence in the Qatari women. She believes that if a woman wants to do something, she can do it. The adage where there is a will ... is more true for women.
“My major is nursing and though it is demanding, I have always found the time to train and have striven hard to improve my archery skills,” she said.
Archery, according to Zeidan, requires a lot of concentration, sharpness and physical effort. “That is what attracted me to archery, and I’m one of the few who has managed to handle the demanding requirements of training when the Qatar archery club was launched,” she added.
Zeidan has expanded her horizons beyond archery as the love to challenge and experiment spurs her on. That’s why she tried her hand at the Qatar Rally.
She says, as a woman, it is better to compete in individual events. “This way and, because not many women are in sports here, one can work hard and see your achievements before translating one’s efforts to a team event,” she said.
Qatar’s encouragement of young girls to take part in sports is evident from the host sailing federation making an exception to the norm by allowing a ten-year-old Qatari girl to join her teammates in sailing. The minimum age to participate in the Asian Games is 11.
While Qatari women have been making their mark, their Iranian counterparts have gone one better by raking in some medals of different hues. Although it is compulsory for Iranian girls to wear the hijab, it did not prevent them from participating with success.
In taekwondo, Mahroz Bonehkohal, Afsaneh Sheikhi and Morjan Tatlari displayed some outstanding skills. The Iranian women also took part in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, and had won a bronze medal six months ago in a taekwondo championship in Bangkok.
Here in Doha, the Iranian women have been or are in the fray in seven disciplines: Taekwondo, chess, athletics, rowing, badminton, shooting and equestrian. “Wearing the hijab does not hinder or bother me at all,” says Sheikhi when asked whether the hijab was a hindrance while practicing or contesting in this martial arts.
The most heartening sight has been the Kuwaiti women contingent of 54, a number that exceeds the number of the Qatari women athletes in Doha.
Alia Qali, 22, is the only Kuwaiti women athlete to compete in rowing. “This is the first time that I participated in an Asiad. It has been a good motivation and experience to me. I trained for two months in Kuwait and Austria for this event. And after taking part, I have realized that the Chinese and Uzbeks are the strongest rowers in this continent.
“It all started when, in a gym, an ad sought participants for the Kuwaiti rowing women team in 2000. I applied and joined. And now we have four girls in the Kuwaiti rowing team here.
“I participated in Europe and finished third in the Arab Championship in Egypt. I’m so happy that Gulf girls are participating in such a big event where apart from competing we have a chance of meeting each other,” Qali said.
Twenty-two-year-old Dana Al-Fulaij has been playing tennis for 13 years now. “My mother used to play tennis at the university and encouraged me to share her passion for this sport. She enrolled me in a tennis club and here I am today in the Asian Games 2006,” said Al-Fulaij.
She took a break from tennis in order to concentrate on her university studies but is back on the court after graduating. “This is the first championship I have participated in since my graduation. The competition is much stronger here than in the Arab championship. China and India are strong competitors,” she said.
Her teammate Sarah Bahbani, 17, has been playing tennis for eight years in Kuwait and has also participated in many championships. “We got a silver medal in the West Asian tennis championship in Iran 2002. I was playing doubles with a Syrian teammate. It is the first time for me to participate in multi-event competition. I usually participate in tennis championships. This time it is a very huge event. We get to meet athletes from other sports,” she said.
Bahbani says women train during their leisure time after school and work. “We do not have a special federation in Kuwait. The concentration is still focused on men more than women.”
The Saudi sportsmen present in the Asian Games said that probably for the first time they have seen such a large participation of women not only from the Far Eastern countries but also from Iran and Gulf countries like Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
They were optimistic that soon Saudi women too would make their nation proud by competing in major sports without compromising on their culture and tradition. They would be role models for future generations.
The Al-Bishi cousins — Hamdan, 25, and Hamid, 26 — who have shown their forte in athletics too found the idea pleasing and encouraged the participation of women in individual sports rather than team sports. “Because of our society and traditions,” Hamid said, “we should take it step by step. Our women have the power and skills to excel in sports and I am sure they would do well in any discipline they choose,” said Hamdan.
Spikers Ismael Khaibari and Yassir Al-Makawani, too agreed, but added that women can take up swimming and table tennis too. But they should first start by attending competitions, adding that understanding between sexes through sports could also improve society.