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Former Iranian wrestling champion Sardar Pashaei witnessed female athletes in his country being whipped simply because they were seen without a hijab.
Today, he also witnesses the mistreatment of female athletes in America in a different way.
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Pashaei opposes allegations of silencing and retaliation against American female athletes who have spoken out in favor of protecting women’s sports from male biological trans athletes.
“To me, it’s not really acceptable to hear that people will be silenced when they think something is unfair to them,” Pashaei told PK Press Club Digital.
“I’m against silencing athletes. If they have concerns, if they think something is not fair for them, because as an athlete, you know, you have to have a lot of discipline, spend a lot of energy to reach that level, and then you know, it’s your dream to become world champion or Olympic champion. So for all athletes, it should be an equal opportunity and also an atmosphere where everyone can express themselves and share their concerns.”
NEW OLYMPICS CHIEF CALLS TO “PROTECT” WOMEN’S CATEGORY AMID GLOBAL WAVE OF TRANS ATHLETES
Pashaei, who won the World Junior Wrestling Championship in 1998, also urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be vigilant in protecting the women’s category.
“I think the International Olympic Committee should pay attention to this and, based on scientific standards, try to create equal opportunities for everyone to compete,” he said.
“And everyone should be competing in this sport on the field at the level that it’s supposed to be at. And I know it gets complicated, but I think every athlete in the world wants to have a fair game to compete.”
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A recent poll by Center Square Voters’ Voice found that 68% of registered voters support the Supreme Court upholding state bans on trans athletes in women’s sports. The poll had 2,659 respondents, including 952 Republicans, 934 Democrats and 773 independents.
In the poll, 88% of Republican voters supported maintaining state bans on transgender women participating in women’s sports, while 49% of Democratic voters said the same.
