Please have a look at them HERE. Photos by Maryam Majd (part one)

The only competition Iran women’s squash players competed in last year was Ramadan Cup; the International Rasht competitions were canceled for some unknown reasons. So based on these numbers the Gilan National competitions will be the first competition this year.

The team will meet I Khuzestan. The head coach has planned two preparatory camps in Khuzestan and Malaysia. The coach says, “ the results of the test I took from the team were satisfactory. I like to know their competitions in Czech.

Shirzanan reports that there is only a few weeks time till Fajr competitions and the women’s national team runners don’t have any field to practice in. It is said that the federation has not paid the money to rent the place out for the national team practices. Federation thinks the whole issue is a dead end and that the runners’ protest will have no results.

The news of a friendly match between boys’ and girls’ Isteghlal youth teams had a very harsh reaction of Iran’s sports officials in all sports newspapers. Mehr News agency was the first to publish the news on Tuesday. After that the other news agencies publish the news and they gave the results of the game which was the boy’s team won the girls’ team 7 to 0.

After the publication of the insident, Alireza Savar, the cultural deputy of Iran’s Physical Education Organization in Iran’s parliament asked for the immediate punishment of the wrongdoers in this matter. He added, “ Based on the regulations the mix matches are strictly forbidden. We don’t let any men’s in when women’s using the facilities and vice versa.

..... She continues, “ I walk a lot during the day, and hope that helps my health. But I don’t’ have a fixed exercising time.”

Nejatizadeh believes that a manager and a deputy’s job is an administrative position, “ but if the person does engage in the same athletic field as she or he is working in it will help her job a lot.” She explains, “ many times when the assistant coach is late I get to the court and help the team by warming them up. Of course they all know I am an expert but it will be better if I could exercise with them. Neissian, the deputy manager of Cycling federation says, “ I do my daily exercises but I am not a goal oriented athlete. I advice people to have a 45mineutes walking per day and I do that three days a week.” She explains, “ before my knee injury I was active in cycling, swimming and basketball. I believe in exercising and sports not only because it affects our figure and body, but also because it influences our sleeping and health.”

Unlike Nejatizadeh, Neissian says, “ A manager’s athletic activities does not concern the athletes who are in her or his team. My relationship with my athletes is good in different levels.” Kheikhah, the deputy manager in Ski federation is an active skier. She started skiing from 12. She skies twice a week. She agrees with Neissian, “The team knows that I am a skier but they don’t know the details. I don’t think my athletic adventures matter for the team.”

Sharifi the head of Wushu team and the deputy manager of women’s Wushu in Iran says, “ I have gymnastic classes two times a week. I practice Yuga and Wushu as well.” She says, “My activities has been limited by my office works. But I think that a manager who does the same sports as she is managing knows the problems better and can manage them by better planning.”

Tahereh Mazloumy, the expert in organization and athletic managing, is the deputy chief of the education ministry in athletic and physical education. She told Shirzanan, “ For the best results we need to study all the possibilities. We need to check the history of that manager to see if she did sports before or not. Then one needs to check and see what does that manager thinks of sports in general and his or her own athletic fields, what are her beliefs and what are her point of views. Then we should see how much equipments and possibilities that manager has in her or his hands and what are her duties.”

Mazloumy explains, “It is very hard to see activate all the possibilities. To make the potentials an actual matter is hard. There are lots of shortcomings in women’s sports in Iran and every manager in all athletic fields is struggling with them.” She added, “ How can we expect a female sports manager have her share of daily exercise when most of the athletic salons are closed to females after working hours. They belong to men and women managers or not cannot use them.” Mazloumy added, “ There are other things at risks. A manager needs to have a healthy body and progressive mind in order to do her or his job. So it is good for them to exercise regardless of their teams. But of course a manager who knows the alphabet of sports can be a better role model for the athletes.”