(ATR) President of the Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah says OCA is "inquiring" about why the Saudi Arabian delegation to Incheon had no female athletes.
Saudi Arabia was the only country to not send a female athlete to the 2014 Asian Games. In 2012 the country send two female athletes to the London Olympics after international criticism mounted.
Sheikh Ahmad addressed the issue to journalists after the OCA Executive Board meeting in Incheon on September 19.
"Just because they have [no women] participating in Incheon it does not mean they are against the principle because [women] participated in London," Sheikh Ahmad told reporters.
"Of course we are asking them to have a female delegate because they are the only delegate who doesn’t have a female in this opening ceremony. But I hope they will have somebody qualify for the future."
Adam Coogle, a Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, says the Saudis are giving too many mixed signals to tell if not sending women to Incheon is hindering women’s sport development in the country.
"I think they are actually moving in the right direction," Coogle told Around the Rings in an interview.
"But of course, what are they doing in the meantime to train them to compete? As far as I know, the Saudi Olympic Committee has not established a women’s section to promote Saudi female athletes."
The Saudi Arabia Olympic Committee did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
According to Coogle, the Saudi Arabia Consultative Assembly, a body which reviews and suggests legislation for the Saudi monarchy, has begun suggesting physical education for girls in public schools. In many private schools, girls are offered physical education.
Another area of progress for the country is the licensing of private sports gyms for women. Previously gyms that catered only to women were denied licensing, which gave female athletes virtually no place to train.
"I think it’s pertinent to point out that what really seems to be motivating the Saudis, other than wanted to generate some good, is combating childhood obesity. Apparently obesity levels are incredibly high, so they are saying sports for girls is a potential sort of counterpoint to that."
Coogle is unsure whether or not Saudi Arabia would send women to the Rio Olympics, but thinks more needs to be done to train sportswomen in the country.
"I suspect now that that barrier has been broken [I would say women would be sent], but if they don’t I would suspect they would hide behind the same excuse they are using this time. If they don’t, there will be a lot of pressure and pull for banning the NOC and they don’t want that."
"It’s a large complex issue that requires a lot of government bodies to do different things, but obviously their follow through has not been sufficient. "
Written by Aaron Bauer
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