The Difference in Traveling to Guatemala for Iranian Men and Women

The presence of the Iranian women's national futsal team in the 2015 World Tournament has faced uncertainties, and officials from the Football Federation have indicated the possibility of canceling Iran's trip to Guatemala. The Iranian women's national futsal team secured the championship trophy in the first Asian Championship by defeating Japan, and Farshteh Karimi was named the best player in Asia. This is the first championship for Iranian women in ball sports in the history of women's sports in Asia. After the championship, Ali Kaffashian emphasized the importance of sending the national team to Guatemala for the World Tournament. The previous edition of this competition was held last year in Costa Rica, where Japan represented Asia. The official website of program 90 reported that the dispatch of the futsal girls is 'shrouded in ambiguity.' Elaheh Arab Amiri, the head of the women's football committee and the third vice president of the Football Federation, stated that Guatemala does not have an embassy in Iran. We must obtain a visa from another country, and so far, no visa facilities have been provided to us by Guatemala. While the national skiing team is heading to Armenia to obtain a visa for the United States and the national wrestling team is going to the UAE, why is this opportunity being denied to the girls who have achieved a historic result? When Iran has not yet taken any steps to obtain visas, what is meant by 'visa facilities'? Ms. Arab Amiri says, 'I have to take 24 girls and bring them to the UAE, while it is uncertain whether they will be granted visas or not. If we were sure, we would do it, but when we do not have complete assurance, we cannot proceed!' The vice president of the Football Federation stated that the federation is willing for this dispatch to happen, but the team must travel from Iran to Germany, then to Mexico, and finally to Guatemala. 'We have to circle half the globe.' These statements come at a time when in 2006, under almost the same conditions and from the same route and with the same dimensions of the globe, the Iranian national freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling teams traveled to Guatemala and competed in the World Championships. At that time, there was also no mention of the absence of a Guatemalan embassy in Tehran, the long route, and the difficult conditions for dispatch. However, the trip took place. With little time left before the start of the competitions, officials from the Iranian Football Federation are talking about the possibility of not issuing visas. The newspaper Shargh, in a report emphasizing the excuses of the Football Federation, used the headline 'The smell of poverty and diplomatic weakness is in the air.' When a global tournament is set to be held and Iran, as the Asian champion, has the permission to participate, there should be no problem in obtaining visas. Previously, players from the Guam national football team traveled to Japan to obtain visas for Iran, and the meaning of the special facilities that Ms. Elaheh Arab Amiri requested is unclear. The women's football deputy speaks about the difficulties of sending '24 girls' to the UAE but does not provide a reason why sending girls to the UAE is difficult while there are no issues if they were boys! Iran's absence from these competitions would mean losing a historic opportunity for girls who have become Asian champions and wish to compete with the world's top teams. The Japanese national team, which received the right to participate in these competitions as the Asian runner-up, intends to participate, but the dispatch of the Asian champion team is not certain. In 2000, the Iranian men's futsal team also went to Guatemala and played in the World Cup. At that time, there was no talk of the lack of a Guatemalan embassy in Tehran and the difficulties of traveling to this country. Even several companions, including employees of state television, traveled to this country at the expense of the Football Federation. This week, Sima Limoochi, the women's table tennis coach, and Fariba Sadeghi, the girls' volleyball coach, have also spoken about the necessity of international dispatches. The exclusion of female athletes from overseas competitions will have no consequences other than falling behind in the race against foreign competitors and decreasing motivation among Iranian female athletes. The travel problems to Guatemala for Iranian male and female athletes are different. Iranian men have been sent to this country in team and individual sports, but with less than a month left until the start of the World Tournament, the members of the Iranian women's national futsal team have no certainty about their participation in these competitions. No action has even been taken to obtain visas for the national team players.