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Ali Kafashian   Iran women's national football team   Ban of Women   Iranian women’s futsal  

Pushing IRIB Aside, Futsal Games Will Go on IPTV

Financialtribune - Iran Football Federation is planning to sideline the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (the state broadcaster) and take the broadcasting of Iran women futsal matches into its own hands through Internet Protocol TV and collaborate with mobile phone service providers, said the federation’s vice president.

“We will not wait for IRIB to cover the games. Through expanding IPTVs and setting up new contracts with mobile phone service providers we will cover the upcoming women futsal games,” Ali Kafashian told ISNA.

Iran’s women futsal team recently participated in AFC Women Futsal Championship. The team kept up its invincibility up until the final game to hammer Japan 5-2 and win the title for the second year in row on May 12.

But none of these matches went on the air inside the country.

“It takes too much time for IRIB to get the required permits for covering the event. The federation cannot sit around” and wait forever,” said Kafashian.

He noted that the strong national team is the fruit of strong national futsal league. To keep this tree’s roots strong and its branches fertile, league teams will get the support they deserve from the federation.

“Women’s sports is of great importance for us as it demonstrates their dynamics. It is upon us to support the clubs so that they do not pull out from league competitions,” said Kafashian, reemphasizing the need and significance of supporting the clubs.

“The main issue preventing the team from attaining a higher quality is the presence of weak technical personnel that must be resolved by the managers. We are already on it.”

Equal Reward

To reward the players for the title, the federation has paid $1,200 (50.4 million rials) to each player, according to the official.

“The reward is equal to the men’s futsal team reward for their Asian title” said Kafashian. “The Presidential Office as well as Ministry of Youth and Sports will also reward the team. Their victory was national joy.”

The Sharzad Mozafar-led team, hailed as the “Queens of Asia’ by the Iranian media, was greeted by a crowd of supporters and officials as they continued to celebrate their second AFC Women’s Futsal Championship title on Saturday.

The victorious players received bouquets and posed for pictures, with captain Nasimeh Gholami, Thailand 2018 Most Valuable Player Fershteh Karimi and top scorer award-winner Sara Shirbeigi in the spotlight.

Football Federation of Iran President Mehdi Taj also welcomed the players on arrival home, including the outstanding goalkeeper Farzaneh Tavassoli, whose teammates nicknamed her the ‘Asian Eagle.’

The victory was celebrated in the country, with football’s all-time international goal-scoring record-holder Ali Daei and Team Melli head coach Carlos Queiroz among the football luminaries to send messages of congratulations.

Kafashian also promised that the federation will discuss the matter of Olympic quota for the women’s team.

“AFC believes only one team can have the quota which would be the men’s team. However negotiations are underway for a quota for women’s team.”

Iran has only one quota for both men and women futsal teams to participate in the Olympic Games. Because our men’s team won the Asian title before the women, the quota was only secured for the men’s team.

Regarding the concrete nature of FIFA rules, negotiations are seemingly far from a positive result that would enable the women’s team to participate in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.