The Iranian women footballers team from Bandar-e Anzali, known as Bandar-e Pahlavi before the Iranian Revolution, reached Islamabad to make debut in the 5th national women football championship. Malavan Bandar Anzali women team based in Bandar-e Anzali, one of the most important seaports in the Iranian province Gilan. " Soccer is national game of Iran.
Football has been a part of life for Iranians for many decades now and is played in schools, alleys, streets and football clubs nation-wide. Women in Iran are increasingly inclined to play football, and with this increasing popularity it is only a matter of time before a more secure infrastructure develops. The Iran women's national football team competes internationally," said Head Coach Jamileh Irandost of Malavan Bandar Anzali women team.
A spokesman of PFF said that women's football in Iran started in 1970. Women had the personal ambition of participating in male football competitions in alleys and streets, so they took part in some men's football games. During that time, when numerous trainers participated in the top grade of FIFA's training courses in Japan, they observed the Japan women's national football team's games against female teams.
That was the stimulus to the administrators of women's football in Iran. Since 1970 serious measures were made in order to reach appropriate standards. Women's football continued to grow until the Iranian revolution in 1979. In 1993 a rebound was made for women's football in Iran, in the shape of Futsal, a form of indoor football, started by Alzahra University.
The 22-member squad of Iranian team is: Players (18): Maryam Irandost, Soheyla Mikaili, Zohreh Koudaei, Afrouz Mozaffari Lalekha, Sara Ghomi Marzdahti, Sara Salahshour, Mina Hashemi, Sepideh Nazhati, Tahereh Sharifzadeh,
Afsaneh Eghbal, Mahnaz Dolatpour, Masoumeh Hasrati, Hajar Shahmalekpour, Neda Abdollahzadeh, Fatemeh Arzhangi, Fereshteh Karimi, Arefeh Mehrvar, Faezeh Abdinejad; Officials (4): Jamileh Irandost (Head Coach), Toueh Badparoudsari, Maryam Arab, Safoora Rahimi.
It may be mentioned that 14 teams are taking part in the 5th National Women Football Championship at Islamabad's Jinnah Stadium. The teams are: holders Rawalpindi's Young Rising Star Football Club, Balochistan United, Karachi's Diya Club, Lahore's Sports Sciences Department of Punjab University, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad, Pakistan Wapda, Pakistan Army, Higher Education Commission and Iranian team.
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