Tasnim Mir, the Indian shuttler who won the crown at the Iran Fajr International Challenge last year, made quite an impression at the awards ceremony when she was asked to wear a hijab and then receive the gold medal.
The Iranian organisers told the winners how it was “mandatory for women medal winners to wear a headscarf as part of the podium dress code”.
As Tasnim approached the podium to receive her medal, the Indian national anthem began to play. She found that all the officials remained seated.
“My daughter stopped halfway and told the organisers that if she was to respect Iran’s rule of a dress code by wearing a hijab on the podium, then all present at the event should also stand when the Indian anthem is being played. She asked them to also reciprocate the respect to India,” Irfan Ali, father of Tasnim, told News18 in an exclusive interview.
Ali was recounting the incident in the background of the latest champion of this Iran-based tournament, Tanya Hemanth, putting on a headscarf to accept her gold medal.
While women shuttlers faced no restrictions while playing, except for those of Iranian origin who wore headscarves and leggings while playing, such a clause did not see a mention in the Badminton World Federation’s prospectus that spoke of the competition and its regulations including dress code.
Tasnim is presently ranked world number 53, was world number 1 in the under-19 category last year, and is a two-time Asian champion: 2018 doubles and 2019 singles.
Irfan Ali, who works as an assistant sub-inspector in Gujarat’s Mehsana district, is still waiting for his daughter’s return from Tehran to know more about the game she lost this year to Tanya. He did not travel as the Iran Fajr International Challenge does not allow men to watch the matches, not even the male family members of the players.
The entire tournament is conducted and organised by women and there were only women in the audience as well, said an Indian badminton official. The official added that a poster saying “no men allowed” is pasted at the door entry itself.
Teen sensation Tasnim lost the same tournament this year to compatriot Tanya Hemanth, going down fighting in a game that lasted less than 30 minutes. The score read 21-7 in the first set and 21-11 in the second.
In 2022, Tasnim won her maiden senior international crown in Shiraz after she defeated Yulia Yosephine Susanto of Indonesia in the final. Ranked world number 404 at the time, Tasnim upset Susanto who was ranked much higher, with a 21-11, 11-21, 21-7 win.
At the time, the organisers told Tasnim about the headscarf rule and she wore it for the awards ceremony.
“My daughter usually does not wear a hijab anywhere. Since it was a rule there, she did it. But not until she made our country proud and demanded that respect be given to the Indian anthem as well,” said the proud father of Tasnim over the phone from Gujarat.
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