Hijab row snowballs, Qatari team pulls out
The Qatari women's basketball team withdrew from the Asian Games in a protest against international rules that ban players from wearing Muslim headscarves in competition. The dispute over the Qatari players' refusal to remove their hijabs — regarded by some as a rule that discriminates against Muslim women — has created a major stir at the games and raised new questions about rules banning the head coverings.
Qatar delegation leader Khalid al-Jabir said the team had decided to withdraw and was already preparing to return home.
The Qatari women were due to play Nepal on Thursday afternoon but did not show up at the venue. Officials took their places, starting line-ups were distributed to the media and announced to the spectators, but none of the Qatari players arrived. The women were not allowed to wear head coverings in their opening game on Wednesday and refused to play, surrendering the game to Mongolia.
The decision not to show up at all on Thursday appeared to take by surprise games organizers, who have tried to portray the regional Olympic-style event as a showcase of diversity."We did not get any intimation from the Qatar team on whether they'll come for the match or not," technical delegate Heros Avanesian said. "We had no option but to wait for them before awarding the match to the other team." Al-Jabir said the team had been left with no choice. "We're not forfeiting games — we're not being allowed to play," al-Jabir said in a telephone interview in the hours leading to the Nepal game. "On the one hand, everyone wants more women to participate in these games and, on the other hand, they're discouraging Muslim women who want to play in hijab."
The Olympic Council of Asia had no immediate comment on the issue, nor did the Asian Games organizing committee.
Shuttler kashyap advances
Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap sailed into the men's singles pre-quarterfinals by registering a straight-game win over Afghanistan's Iqbal Ahmad Shekib at the 17th Asian Games here on Thursday. Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medalist Kashyap, having received a bye in the opening round, defeated his Afghani opponent 21-6 21-6 in just 17 minutes to book a place in the next round at the Gyeyang Gymnasium.
Kashyap breezed through the first game, finishing off his opponent in just eight minutes. The story remained same in the second game as well with the 28-year-old Indian taking just a minute longer than the first to see off Shekib. In a mixed doubles round of 32 match however, India suffered a reverse with Akshay Dewalkar and Pradnya Gadre losing 20-22 21-17 13-21 to Triyachart Chayut and Yao lei of Singapore. They lost the match in 42 minutes.
Golfers falter at start
India's men's golf team, which has won a medal at each of the last three Asian Games, frittered away a good start to be placed fifth after the first round of the competition, here on Thursday. India began well only to be struck down as finishing blues haunted them towards the end at the Dream Park Country Club. Yet all four men managed under-par scores and were within striking distance of the leaders. Udayan Mane and Feroz Garewal carded two-under 70 each to be tied ninth and four shots behind the leader, seasoned Cheng Tsung Pan (Taipei), a silver medallist in 2006, who shot a bogey-free six-under 66. Manu Gandas and Samarth Dwivedi finished with 71 each in tied 20th place. With a total of five-under 209 for the best three scores, the Indians were fifth in team placing, and the joint leaders were Taipei and Korea. The Indian women had a tougher time as Gurbani Singh (75) and Astha Madan (75) were tied 19th and Aditi Ashok (78) was tied 22nd among 36 starters. Indian women were eighth in standings.
Yuki, sanam, ankita in rd16
Indian tennis players Yuki Bhambri, Sanam Singh and Ankita Raina registered comfortable wins in their respective singles matches to sail into the pre-quarterfinals of the 17th Asian Games, here on Thursday. All the three Indians were hardly tested by their opponents as they registered straight set wins without breaking any sweat at the Yeorumul Tennis Courts.
In the men's singles, Yuki made short work of Jabor Mohammed Al Mutawa 6-1 6-0 in 54 minutes while Sanam took just 48 minutes to get the better of Kuwait's A H Alshatti Abdulhameed 6-1 6-2 in 46 minutes in another second round encounter. Ankita, on the other hand, was at her lethal best as the ace Indian women's singles player did not drop a single game en route to her 6-0 6-0 win over Gotov Dulguunjargal of Mongolia in the second round duel that lasted mere 26 minutes. Sanam will next play Korea's Hyeon Chung for a place in the quarterfinals on Thursday, while Yuki will be up against Christopher Benjamin Rungkat of Indonesia. In the women's singles, Ankita faces Eri Hozumi of Japan in the pre-quarters.