Niloufar Ardalan, 30, was dismissed from her position as captain of the Iranian women's futsal team after her husband banned her from joining her teammates at the Asian Games Thursday in Malaysia.
She was quoted by Gol as saying that she intended to pursue the matter with the Women's Rights Society. Her husband, television sports presenter Mahdi Tutunchi, didn't give his consent to her application for her passport renewal, allegedly because he did not want her to miss their son's first day at school.
This was the first year the national team competed in the Asian Games.
Ardalan, who was chosen twice as "Lady Goal" of the Islamic Solidarity Games, had been training for months for the competition. She insisted that she would have been present for the ceremonies for her son's first day as she was scheduled to fly a day later, according to IranWire .
“I am not travelling outside Iran for fun. My goal is to elevate my country and my flag. The same way that young men have the problem of compulsory military service and they find a solution for it, they must find a solution for women. Is there a difference? I am a woman and a mother and I will not forfeit my rights.”
Her story caused an uproar on social media as international news outlets picked up on it: