Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), held talks on September 25 on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mr. Bach and Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), have been staunch advocates of Iranian women’s rights to attend sporting events at large stadiums.
The IOC and FIFA have been concerned about the current ban on Iranian female football fans from attending matches. Mr. Bach had previously said that he intended to raise the issue with President Rouhani during their meeting in New York.
[aesop_image img=”https://kayhanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/thomas-bach_rouhani.jpg” panorama=”off” align=”center” lightbox=”on” caption=”Hassan Rouhani and Thomas Bach. Source: Kayhan London” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]
“We are trying to find an amicable solution to this problem, so we won’t have to penalize Iranian football,” Mr. Infantino told reporters during his recent visit to Tehran. He has been critical of Iran’s Football Federation and the Ministry of Sport and Youth for failing to make a strong case with the security forces in favor of lifting the ban on female fans to attend football matches.
Meanwhile, President Rouhani and his Minister of Sport and Youth Massoud Soltanifar have promised to find a viable solution to the current situation in line with Islamic values and principles.
Translated from Persian by Fardine Hamidi
