Iranian women players to follow dress code

Hyderabad:

When Iran's badminton team left Teheran, the brief was not really to bring the winner's cup back to the country. They were instead told to ensure 90 per cent of their body remained covered while they were on the court. But the girls are not going to let that pre-condition play spoilsport with the adventure of their first international outing. "India is a very big country and it is very popular. But I don't know why all of them make noise with their cars when they drive. The weather is hot and wet. The food is spicy. We are your guest so we should try your food," says Gulnaz, Iranian player. 'Special cover' The girls say men are not allowed to watch them in action in Iran, so back home they can wear comfortable clothing in all-women tournaments. For the India trip, the last one-year was spent trying out different dresses and the authorities finally approved this attire. "We have designed a special cover for the players so they can play with it easily. It is not as comfortable as playing with shorts but its ok," says Simin, Coach, Iran women's team. The players are unlikely to go beyond the first round but they are sure making heads turn for what they are here to show, or would that be, not show.