OCA considering common policy on headgear after Qatar hijab ban

By Nick Butler at the Main Press Centre in Incheon

A common policy on head coverings is being pursued by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in order to avoid a repeat of problems seen here at the Asian Games, where Qatar's female basketball team withdrew from the tournament after being banned from wearing hijabs.

At the moment, no such policy exists at events organised by the OCA, with each sport's policy under the auspice of their respective International Federation.

This created the situation seen here where Qatari players were not allowed to take to the court wearing a hijab, the Islamic veil covering the body from the head to the chest, because the wearing of headgear remains banned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Two Sikh players in the Indian team, Amritpal and Amjyot Singh, also chose to go against religious practices and cut their hair before attending the Games, so they did not require turbans, after they had been asked to take off their turbans at the Asia Cup in August.

FIBA insist its regulations are of a "purely sporting nature" and "without any religious connotations".

But athletes across a broad spectrum of other sports, including athletics, badminton, rowing, and triathlon, have worn headgear when competing.

Iran's lightweight quadruple sculls rowing team all wore hijabs en route to winning a bronze medal here in Incheon ©AFP/Getty Images

"We've discussed the matter with their world body as well as the Asian body," OCA secretary-general Randhir Singh told The Associated Press.

"In fact, we're taking up the matter with sports officials across the board to ensure the matter is sorted out at the earliest [opportunity].

"It's an internal federation matter but it's an overall policy which has to be adopted and we cannot discriminate."

The Indian, a Sikh, added that from a personal perspective, he believes the current stance to be a "wrong thing" because religious customs should be protected.

"It is the hijab for the Muslims on one side and on the other side it's the Sikhs, who have to play without turbans," he added.

Randhir Singh believes headgear should be permitted in order to avoid religious discrimination ©Getty Images

An increasingly divisive issue, the question of whether players should be permitted to compete wearing headgear has generated much attention in a variety of different sporting arenas in recent years.

In April, in a landmark move, football governing body FIFA lifted a ban after a long-standing campaign led by Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, stretching back to 2010, when the Iranian women's football team were banned from wearing the hijab at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Other sports, including karate and weightlifting, have relaxed their rules over the last few years.
At a FIBA Central Board meeting earlier this month, it was also decided to begin a two-year testing period regarding rules about uniform, where teams will be able to wear such clothing in certain tournaments, as well as do so at national level events, but only when they have obtained prior permission.

This trial is not being implemented at international events such as the Asian Games.

But FIBA's insistence on a need for a trial period is due to a possible safety risk of playing with headgear, both for the players themselves and for the opposing team, and this risk will have to be considered by the OCA in their pursuit of a common policy.