Iranian Soccer Player, Niloufar Ardalan, Leaves Country Despite Husband's Protests

A few months ago, Niloufar Ardalan, captain of the Iranian national women's soccer team, was denied permission to travel or compete in the Asian Football Federation Women's Futsal Championship (a tournament they would go on to win). The reason was her husband. He had denied her request, a right supported by Islamic law. However, after the arbitration of officials, Ardalan has been allowed to fly with her team from Iran to Mexico ahead of the Futsal (5v5 indoor soccer played on a basketball court like surface, with a smaller, heavier ball) World Cup in Guatemala later this month.

Ardalan's husband, a TV sports presenter, has supposedly been supportive of women's sports in the past. However, the dates of the tournament had conflicted with the couple's 7-year-old son's first days of school. He told her she couldn't go, and that was basically that.

"My husband didn't give me my passport so that I can [participate] in the games, and because of his opposition to my travel abroad, I [will] miss the matches," Ardalan said in a Spetember 11 interview.

"I wish authorities would create [measures] that would allow female athletes to defend their rights in such situations," Ardalan said.

Some two months later, Ardalan got her wish. She accompanied the Iranian national women's futsal team to Guatemala days ago. While the ruling isn't one that eradicates the Islamic Law, and is a temporary solution to a long-term problem, it's still a victory to be celebrated. And Ardalan is grateful for the support she received.

"My presence in the national futsal team camp happened because of the prosecutor's permission and I have a single exit permit on my passport," Ardalan said, via Tribune.

Hopefully, this is just the first step of many for the sporting women of Iran.