DUBAI (Reuters) – Reports that Iran’s water polo team did not sing their national anthem at the Asian championship in Thailand have stirred emotions on social media in the latest show of solidarity by athletes with the country’s protest movement.
Videos posted on Twitter showed the team not singing as the Iranian national anthem played at a match against India in Bangkok on Tuesday.
Reuters could not verify the video clips but social media users saw the refusal to sing as a clear show of support for the eight-week-old protests, the biggest challenge to Iran’s clerical leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“One of the most radical acts by the Iranian national water polo team. We know sport teams that have sided with the people and we appreciate your support,” said one an unverified Twitter user.
The anti-government demonstrations erupted in September after the death of a Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code imposed on women.
The water polo team’s unwillingness to sing was not the first time that Iranian sports people have taken actions that have been widely interpreted as gestures of support for the protests.
Last week, Iran’s national beach soccer team players refused to sing the national anthem at the beginning of a semi-final in a championship against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, according to a widely followed activist Twitter account known as 1500TASVIR.
Then on Sunday, the beach soccer team players did not cheer or celebrate after defeating Brazil to win the championship, the activist account said.
One Iranian player even celebrated his goal by pretending to cut his hair, a gesture of protest by Iranian women, who have been at the forefront of the protests.
The Iranian beach football federation said in a statement on Monday the players’ actions were “unwise”.
Another Twitter user, identified on the site as Mehdi Andarziyan, a PhD student, chided authorities for not quickly stamping out dissent, saying:
“Mr Minister of Sports, if you had slapped the beach soccer players, the water polo players would not have disrespected the anthem of the Islamic Republic!”
In October, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi caused a stir by competing in an international contest in South Korea without a headscarf, a requirement for female athletes representing Iran in all sports.
Rekabi later apologised for the “turbulence and worry” and said poor timing had led to her competing without her hijab.
More than 1,000 people have been indicted in Tehran Province alone in connection with what the government calls “riots”.
The activist HRANA news agency said 321 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of Monday, including 50 minors.
Thirty-eight members of the security forces had also been killed, it said.
State media said last month that more than 46 members of the security forces, including police officers, had been killed. Government officials have not provided an estimate of any wider death count.
(Writing by MIchael Georgy; Editing by Robert Birsel)
