Iran’s entire national soccer team will undergo gender testing after claims that eight of the top-level players are actually men.
The team’s uniform consists of hijab headscarfs, long-sleeved tops and tracksuit pants.
This from The Telegraph:
Mojtabi Sharifi, an official close to the Iranian league, told an Iranian news website: “[Eight players] have been playing with Iran’s female team without completing sex change operations.”
On Wednesday, authorities reportedly ordered gender testing of the entire national squad and leading league players. The names of the players thought to be male were not revealed.
The claims arose from random gender checks introduced in 2014 after it was revealed four of the national team’s players were either men who had not completed sex change operations or were suffering from sexual development disorders.
The name of the players believed to be men have not been revealed.
Triple M’s The Hot Breakfast co-host Mick Molloy labelled the scandal “a big sporting cheat”.
“It’s up there with the Spanish basketball team at the special Olympics who turned out to be able-bodied people bunging on an impairment,” Molloy said.
Back in 2000, the Spanish team were disqualified and ordered to return their gold medals shortly after the Sydney Paralympics when it was discovered many members of the team had no physical or mental handicap.
At least 15 of the 200 Spanish athletes had no handicap, in what is still viewed as one of the most scandalous sporting moments in history.
Gender change operations are legal and common in Iran, despite the nation’s strict rules around sexual morality that outlaws homosexuality and pre-marital sex.
Soccer is also popular in Iran, despite women being banned from watching male teams compete at stadiums.
Last month the women’s team made headlines after its captain was banned from flying with the squad to Malaysia by her husband.
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