Over the past year, many sporting events in the United States have been moved due to political issues taking place in cities around the country. Now, a global sporting tournament has landed in a city that one former champion refuses to go to.
The World Chess Federation recently announced its 2017 Women’s World Championship will surprisingly be held in Tehran, Iran. The tournament will take place in February. Shortly after the announcement was made, players began to rebel.
The reigning chess champion is Nazi Paikidze, who was born in the country of Georgia before moving to the United States. Paikidze has already said she may not play in the tournament because of the dress code that will be required.
“I will NOT wear a hijab and support women’s oppression. Even if it means missing one of the most important competitions of my career,” Paikidze said in a statement to My Stealthy Freedom, an online campaign that opposes forced hijab.
Since the tournament is in Iran, players have to comply with the Iranian dress code. This means every woman playing in the tournament has to wear a headscarf while they are there.
Paikidze isn’t alone in possibly boycotting the tournament. Carla Heredia of Ecuador has already come out in support of Paikidze’s decision. However, not everyone is on Paikidze’s side. Former champion Susan Polgar who is also co-chair of the Commission for Women’s Chess for the World Chess Federation said Paikidze should have brought her issues to the organization instead of the public.
Thank you all for your support! pic.twitter.com/teHiQK3PHT
— Nazi Paikidze (@NaziPaiki) October 2, 2016
Grandmaster Mitra Hejazipour is also going against Paikidze’s protest, saying the games gives women in Iran an opportunity to do something they may otherwise not be allowed to do. Ghoncheh Ghavami, a British-Iranian woman who went to jail for five months for entering a stadium for a men’s volleyball game, came out and said isolating Iran in this situation only hurts women.
[Newsday]
